My Name? Catch M Hall
by Sethera
Summary: "I thought I'd used up all my bad karma. Turns out I didn't. Now I'm trapped in my video game and I can't escape until I manage to 'catch 'em all,' quote by Professor Oak. I'm stuck with a mute boy, his annoying spiky-haired rival with a death wish, and Team Rocket. Why is life always so complicated?" OC Self-insert that's not really a self-insert anymore
1. Offbeat Rhythm and Panic Attacks

**Disclaimer: I do not and never will own Pokémon or its respective characters, ideas, settings, plot, etc. I also don't own any direct quotes in this story from the games. I like including them, since this is set in the games. And since they're scattered all throughout the story, I'll just say right now to clarify that I don't own them.**

* * *

**My Name? Catch M. Hall**

Chapter 1: Offbeat Rhythm and Panic Attacks

It was the middle of the night, but someone forgot to inform the sun of that little tidbit.

I _knew_ it was around twelve in the morning, but according to the rest of the world, I was very, very wrong.

Great, my circadian rhythm was malfunctioning, and now my eyes hurt from the sunlight. Less like twelve midnight and more like twelve noon.

Sorry, you'll have to excuse the snark. I'm a bit grumpy before I actually wake up. Plus, I don't like not knowing what's going on, and wait, why am I explaining all this?

My altruistic qualities choose the worst times to come out. Namely, when I don't need them to.

Ahem, back on topic of being weirded out, I also noticed _another_ weird thing. Yeah. My life is full of them. Get used to it.

Okay, I _really_ need my morning shower. I'm not ready to deal with the world before that happens.

Anyway, temporary ADD aside (yes, I was tested for it, and no, I was _not_ positive! As in the medical condition, not my certainty) I noticed that I was _not_ where I'd gone to bed the night before. Actually, I don't even remember falling asleep, much less being dragged who-knows-where.

Yeah. Anyone ever wake up and realize that they're not where they're supposed to be? Okay, I guess those that have gotten too drunk to breathe probably know what I'm feeling like. Anyone _besides_ them? Okay, druggies and kidnappees, you can put your hands down.

Well, I guess quite a few of you have. Anyway, that's beside the point! I was a staunch anti-drug person (yeah, I know it's not cool to be anti-drugs, but I never gave a flip for what was cool or not), so I was pretty sure this wasn't because I'd sniffed some paint or downed too many shots. For one thing, I didn't have the raging hangover I was sure I'd have if I'd done the latter (only sure, because I'd never actually _gotten_ a hangover, only a caffeine one, which really, was enough for me), and for another, I didn't sniff paint. I only struggled with daubing it on canvas.

Man, I just could _not_ concentrate in the morning.

Focus, girl, focus.

I was slightly paranoid, so the last option of how I got here, kidnapping, I actually considered. And when I thought about it, I panicked.

Yeah, I was one of _them_. The panickers.

I felt like screaming, like gasping, like bending over and going: "lalalala!" with my fingers in my ears. But that wouldn't do me any good. I fought with myself for a good whole minute to get me out of my panicked-induced haze. Then I fought to control my breathing for another. And then another minute went by with me trying to calm myself down to think coherently.

After that, trying to think was like slogging through swamp muck. Slow, difficult, and frustrating.

I _so_ wish I could be one of those stoic heroes that can always think insanely fast when needed. Unfortunately, I'm just a girl that's a little bit too paranoid for her own good.

Then again, maybe my paranoia was justified, considering the situation I was in.

However, with my obsession for reading about those strong, stoic types, I knew the steps I had to take to get into their mindset.

Breathe, calm yourself down, think. You can't panic. Don't think about your situation, or anything else (shit, don't think about it, don't think about it). Think about how to get _out_ of it. Maybe an explanation? Yeah, that's good. Why does everything look so _different_? Why am I not tied up? Maybe they want me to lower my guard? Well, _that's_ not happening.

I froze for a few seconds, like a frightened rabbit, trying hard not to breathe too loudly. Yeah, it really sucked. I was definitely on the _prey_ end of the human spectrum.

Observation skills time. Okay, this I could handle. Whenever I got into my "scientific mode," then I got a whole lot calmer and analytical, something I desperately needed.

Okay. Note one: I was in a small grassy area, on a path, and obviously outside in the middle of summer during high noon. There was a ledge in front of me, and short and tall grass (it looked creepy, like somebody had only mown certain parts on purpose) all around, as well as trees. Note two: there was a sign next to that ledge. Note three: I had no idea what was behind me, but I was going for the sign.

Scientific mode over. I walked to the sign.

Route 1. Pallet Town – Viridian City. …What? Was this a prank?

I turned around. And froze. So there was a town behind me this whole time? What the—?

Well, it only had three buildings, so it was probably just a farm or a cluster of really close neighbors.

Creepy.

Anyway, civilization. If I was smart, I'd head for it.

Well, I didn't want to be _dumb_. I was called that enough as it was. So smart it'd have to be.

I walked into the grass.

"Hey! Wait! Don't come in!"

And cue a creepy old man, running as if his life depended on it, _straight at me_. A creepy, _familiar_-looking old man.

Oh shit.

Usually I didn't swear, but this moment called for it.

What the hell was a Professor Oak cosplayer doing here?

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**Story FAQ  
**1. So is the main character a self-insert or not?  
_The main character is not a self-insert anymore. In summary, out of a sense of discomfort in writing about myself and sharing it with others, I have changed her to be an amalgam of various people I know through real life, fantasy, and tropes. She is, in essential, an OC, and a non-Sue._

2. Why did you start this fic?  
_I started this fic as a light-hearted crackfic to poke fun at the Pokémon video game world and highlight all its quirks from an outsider's perspective. However, in my quest to show how a person would realistically react to all of this, I have gone darker than I meant to. I don't know what to call my fic genre anymore, so I'll leave it as Adventure/Humor until somebody thinks a different label fits it better._

3. Will there be pairings?_  
__Okay, I keep oscillating with this one. In my attempts to be canon-compliant and to be sure to have no Sues I started out strictly no-pairing. However, if enough people ask for it there will be pairings (they don't have to involve the OC either). And you'll get to watch my hapless attempts at writing romance. Fun._

4. So-and-so Pokémon doesn't learn this move in Black/White! And why isn't Bidoof in there?  
_This fic is based off the FireRed/LeafGreen games, so not only will it only have the first three generations of Pokémon in it, specifics like movesets and abilities are based off the FireRed/LeafGreen data. So if you see any elements that confuse you this is why._

5. Why isn't Red a bishie with black hair and red eyes? Like the Lelouch clone fan art I see online!  
_Okay, first of all, you should know better than to consider fan art canon. Shame on you. Secondly, as this fic is based off the FireRed/LeafGreen games, he will look like the Red from those games, brown hair and all. But because I like Original Red too (as he looks like in Sugimori pics) I shall include him somehow, never fear fellow O-Red fans._

6. What's up with Green/Blue/Gary's name?  
_Ohhh, boy._ This_ question. Our protagonist calls Red's rival "Green." However, "Blue" is how everybody else calls him. "Gary" is from the anime, by the way. I don't think he's game-canon at all except for __Pokémon Yellow. _This Blue/Green discrepancy is due to the fact that in the original Japanese releases, Red and Green were released together, making the main characters "Red" and "Green." However, in the English releases, Red and Blue were released together. Thus in English-speaking countries they renamed the rival "Blue" to match up with the games instead of "Green" like he was originally called. Our protagonist is aware of this, and prefers the original Japanese version, but as the version of FireRed/LeafGreen she plays is in English, the rival is named "Blue."

7. Do you like waffles?  
_Yeah I like waffles! And pancakes and french toast!_


	2. Cosplayers and Psychology Experiments

Chapter 2: Cosplayers and Psychology Experiments

What do you do when confronted with a cosplayer running right for you?

Well, that's the question I was asking _myself_.

Wasn't he supposed to be at one of those cons? I'd always wanted to attend one, but had been prevented by my father who'd told me I was: "too naïve to be trusted there without adult supervision."

He'd said that even after I turned of age.

Anyway, my sad life story aside, there was an insane old dude running for me. And I _still_ didn't know what to do! My polite, conventional side was telling me to stand still and see what he wanted. And my not-so-polite, run-for-your-life side told me, to…well, run for my life.

So I was kind of in a weird sideways stance with one leg facing the sign (away from the old dude) and the other twisted back to face _him_. A pivot one way and I would be hotfooting it, the other would force me to turn around and look at him.

Yeah, I didn't really want to talk to him, but common sense told me to stay. I mean, here I was, in an unknown place, alone and confused. I might as well try to speak to the only person around.

At least, that's what my logical side told me. However, my logical side has very little bearing on my actual _actions_, so instead, I just stood there like a deer in the moment before its flight.

The creepy cosplayer must have figured out my indecision, because he increased his pace. "Young lady, don't you know it's unsafe? Wild Pokémon live in tall grass! You need your own for your protection!"

I paused, staring at him. Okay…this route name, this collection of buildings, plus the creepy cosplayer. Had I woken up in some film adaptation of the Pokémon game? If so, I was not amused, though the opportunist in me was pondering the financial benefits I could reap from this.

"Um…I'm sorry, but I never signed up for this. There must be a mistake…" Honesty won over greed once more. Dang it!

"Nonsense, young lady! There is no mistake, though I do admit it's a bit abrupt…"

"Wait, what?"

"I mean," the old man continued. "There is nothing _wrong_ per se with the method, but they _do_ need to think about timing! You're quite late."

I stared at him. _This_ wasn't in the script. "...I'm sorry?"

"I know! Here, come with me!"

For some reason my feet moved by themselves and I ended up following the old guy. Well, this day kept getting weirder and weirder. From off rhythms to mystery feet movement, I decided I'd had just enough confusion for one day.

A confused me made for a _grumpy_ me.

As we walked, I noticed that the buildings were all facing the same way. Kinda creepy, but pretty authentic if this _was_ a filming site. Since the buildings _did_ all seem to face the same way in the games.

We entered the largest (and longest) building, a yellow brick structure with a bright green door. As it opened, I noticed something.

This…laboratory, looked exactly like in the game.

The metal tile floor, the white bookshelves, the mysterious machine, and the desks with the computer in the back looked _so_ authentic. Heck, even the green table covered with Poké Balls was here too! The window in the back had light streaming down to create a halo effect around two figures. Two _familiar_ figures. Stupid cosplayers.

"Gramps, I'm fed up with waiting!" right on cue for his line too. I almost laughed at how seriously he was taking this.

The brunette boy beside him nodded. Yep, Mr. Silent was here.

I took a closer look at them. They both had pretty authentic costumes. "Red" wore the standard red jacket and black shirt combined with blue jeans. A yellow backpack showed him to have no fashion sense, though the colors were bright. I could tell by the style that he was cosplaying the remade Red. Same with "Green" (I know he's called Blue but in the original Japanese games he was Green, so I always called him that).

He wore a black-collared shirt, a silver fanny pack (that made me laugh), purple pants (who wears those?), purple bracelets, and a weird silver necklace. He had bright reddish-brown hair with matching eyes. Actually…

Sometimes they looked green. Which made no sense. Maybe he had those weird color-shifting eyes. No fair! Wish _I_ had cool color-changing eyes…

"Red, Blue?" the old man beside me started, jolting me out of my thoughts. "Let me think…"

He sat there for a good whole minute, while I exchanged awkward looks with the two boys. This was _uncomfortable_.

"Oh, that's right! I told you to wait!" Wow, took you _that_ long to think of it?

"Well, yeah," snorted "Blue." "You _ordered_ us to wait for you, and we've been here for over an hour! What were you doing, gramps?"

"Don't question me, Blue!" the old man scolded. "I was waiting for _her_."

The way he said it made me feel guilty for no reason. It wasn't _my_ fault I hadn't been informed of this great conspiracy to film the Pokémon game! I decided to explain this.

"Hey, listen here. I had no _clue_ about the filming, so something probably went wrong with your IDs or something. I am _not_ the person you're looking for!"

The three looked at me in bemusement, and my heart sank when I processed their confusion. Did this mean they thought I _was_ the right person?

I started waving my arms, panicking, "Look! I never signed up for this! I'd be glad to help if you need it, but first we need to arrange schedules and pay times."

Even more weird looks. Okaaay, change in tactic.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about! First you kidnap me away from home, and now you expect me to participate in all this without explaining things?"

The two boys glanced at each other, surreptitiously shooting me looks. They thought I was crazy! _They_ were the crazy ones, not _me_!

The old guy sighed, "I will explain things the best I can, but first, we need to get you a Pokémon."

My shoulders drooped, and I lifted a hand to rub my forehead. Stress was definitely not something I needed this soon after…waking.

_"Fine,"_ I sighed, letting breath out between sugar-cube teeth. "I'll play along with this—" I paused to gesture at them, "—façade you insist on maintaining for the rest of the filming, but believe me, I _will_ get answers." I wondered if they were doing a psychology test or something, to see people's reactions to being dragged in the middle of filming. Maybe this whole episode would end up being shown worldwide, as proof of their experiment. Now _that'd_ be embarrassing! Who knew what I looked like right now! Just the thought annoyed me, and I scowled.

People have told me that when I look up to glare at people from beneath my lashes, I scare the crap out of them. It seems they were right, because both the old guy and the spiky-haired brunette seemed sufficiently intimidated. The capped boy, however, was unmoved.

I glowered at him. I didn't like it when my glares went unheeded. He returned my stare, and I was startled at the depth in his eyes. The more I looked, the more I couldn't look away, trapped by the fire and sheer intensity of his gaze. He…was a brilliant actor. Because that was exactly how I would've portrayed Red (if I were a boy of course). Still, it usually took a lot of experience to get that good. I wondered if this actor had a similar personality to his character.

Trying not to show how unnerved I was, I turned away from the boy to look at the other two. They still seemed a bit shaky, but the old man eventually approached.

"There are three Pokémon here," he spoke, before laughing. "Haha! They are inside the Poké Balls!"

I stared at him. I never did get that part of the script. The whole "haha" part. So had Red made some sort of confused reaction in the game then? Had he lived under a rock for the first eleven years of his life and because of this he had no clue where Pokémon were stored?

I was still confused, and this old guy was still talking.

"When I was young, I was a serious Pokémon trainer. Why, I remember…"

I glanced at the two boys and made a sour face. "Blue" rolled his eyes and made blabbing motions with his hand, while "Red" just stood there.

I sighed, tapping my foot with my arms crossed, waiting for the cosplayer to finish. He was talking about how he beat the Elite Four now. I rolled my eyes. I didn't remember him being this long-winded in the game. Maybe it was "artistic license" or something like that.

"Okay, gramps, we get it already!" the spiky-haired boy exploded. Geez, he had a temper, didn't he?

"Thank god," I breathed, before looking at the Professor Oak cosplayer again.

His mouth twitched downwards, eyes narrowed slightly, before letting out a breath. "Fine, I get it already. You shouldn't be so impatient, Blue."

He turned to look at me, "Now, in my old age, I only have three Pokémon. However…" his mouth quirked, "Since you're so late, you pick last."

I shrugged. I didn't really care that much. This was just a film thing; it's not like it was real.

Professor Oak babbled something along the lines of "Red" picking first. I wasn't really listening, mainly because I'd heard this a bajillion times before when I'd played the game.

He seemed to take forever to decide when he finally picked one, staring at it in his hand.

"Blue" swaggered up to the green table, smacking a hand down on a ball. "I'll take this one, then!" My respect upped for these guys, if only a little. They had an actor's dedication; I'd give them that. I just wish that they'd actually _explain_ what was going on here.

He walked back to lean against a bookshelf, staring at "Red." It was, again, creepy. Actually, this whole thing, although kind of awesome in a way, was still unbearably creepy. Maybe I wasn't cut out for filming. Or just the whole being-kidnapped thing was irking me. Either way, this was _weird_. Because I wasn't just watching it, I was actually _here_, right next to these guys, and let me tell you, they didn't exactly give off happy-happy-joy-love vibes, that's for sure. I don't know how the game Professor Oak handled it, truthfully. Being stuck in a small town composed of three buildings with two boys that hated each other's guts just seemed like a recipe for disaster. I think I'd run away at the first chance I'd get.

Oh, wait, was it my turn? Oops, got a bit distracted by the whole glaring contest thing. I could almost _see_ those wacky rivalry anime sparks that I forgot the name of, if they ever _had_ a name for them.

I strode up confidently to choose my Poké Ball. Not that I had much of a choice to make, haha, sarcastic laughter.

I looked down to observe the shiny metallic red-and-white orb (_so_ realistic), picking it up in the process.

And that's when I felt it. Almost like there was something…alive inside this ball, beyond the cool feeling of metal. Hmm, if they'd doused these things with radiation I was _so_ suing them.

Now the wacky cosplayer was talking about being able to "battle" with our Pokémon, but again, not paying attention. I was more just looking at these cosplayers and trying to see if I could spot any discrepancies in their outfits or behavior, something to indicate a less-than-perfect actor or clothes designer. But alas, according to my blurred remembrance of the game, they were picture-perfect.

Well, at least the audience would like the film. Except maybe for those "originalists" who'd protest at "Red" and his brown hair, or the clothing changes from the original. Like how "Blue" wasn't wearing that dinky purple shirt anymore. Actually, I liked him better in that shirt than in purple _pants_. Those things were just _embarrassing_.

I was jolted out of my inner fashionista when "Blue" yelled something about checking out their Pokémon (that just sounded wrong) and two separate flashes of white light that revealed something entirely startling.

…Wait, they actually had _Pokémon_?

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**Thank you KawairashiiGriffin, Gentle Blossom, ObsessedwithBirds, Species Unknown, Pinkypink342, and LudicrouslyUnappealing for reviewing!**


	3. Holograms and Photoshop

Chapter 3: Holograms and Photoshop

I didn't know photoshop effects would work on me while I was _in_ the film!

Unless what I was seeing were holograms or something… Which made more sense, but still confused me.

One was a small blue-green frogasaur-like Pokémon with spots and a bulb on its back.

The other was a fire-breathing lizard.

Yeah, they were both pretty cool, to be honest.

I was "checking them out" as "Blue" had called it, and I couldn't help but admire the detail. Whoever came up with the art for these guys was brilliant. I wouldn't mind meeting him or her right after the filming was done.

"Charmander, Scratch!" yelled "Blue."

The lizard nodded, and lunged forward at the frogasaur (as I liked to call it), and I saw light glint off its paws. "Char!" it cried, slashing the Bulbasaur on the cheek.

At this, "Professor Oak" started to explain things to "Red." By the patient look on his face, it was obvious that the boy knew all of this already. I nodded. That made sense, since I would've figured Red to have already known about Pokémon battles by the time he turned eleven. Heck, even Ash knew when he turned _ten_.

I snickered behind a hand at them. Geez, Professor Oak's scenes were so _long_. Well, he probably wouldn't be in the film very much besides now and after Red beat the league. So the poor audience wouldn't have to listen to him babble for too long.

"Blue" shot me a look, obviously having heard me. I waved a hand merrily at him, to which he rolled his eyes.

I leaned forward after the longwinded explanation. I wanted to hear "Red" speak. I mean, that _is_ how you ordered a Pokémon to attack. By speaking, right?

The boy got into a ready stance, his eyes sharp. Position-wise, I was a bit behind and to the side of "Blue" and facing "Red." His cap shadowed his face, but I could make out key details. Like the complete and total concentration he had right now.

And his Pokémon only had two attacks.

I rolled my eyes at their actions. Wow, if they were _this_ dramatic in the beginning of the film, they wouldn't have anything left for the end.

He stared thoughtfully at his Pokémon, and then nodded. To my complete and total surprise, the Pokémon nodded back and started to run.

What the…frigging…frig?

Did that Bulbasaur just…_mind-link_ with its trainer?

Oh, wait, hologram. They probably programmed it that way or something.

While I was thinking this, I was also watching the frogasaur. It knocked into the Charmander, and I could see that quite a bit of damage had been done.

The fire lizard was slammed into a bookshelf, a few books falling onto its head. One fell on its tail, and I watched the poor Professor Oak cosplayer rush over, swatting his lab coat on the blaze in a poor attempt to put it out.

I hurried over to try and help, but I really didn't know what to do. I couldn't remember if swatting was a good thing to do, but I'd always seen it in movies. The only other thing going through my mind was: stop, drop, and roll. Which wouldn't help…

"Wait!" the old guy turned to me. "You have a Pokémon, right?"

I stared at him, my ears registering his words but my mind not. "Um…yeah, but _that's_ not going to do much in this—"

"Call it!" he snapped.

I shook my head, annoyed now. "Hey, I know that you are all _into_ the filming and stuff, but there's a point where you have to be realistic."

"Stop arguing with me and just do it!"

"And I _told_ you it won't help!"

"Argh, just give me that thing!"

I swerved my arms, holding the Poké Ball high above my head when the man lunged for it.

I think my finger slipped or something though, because I heard a _click_ followed by a beam of white light.

And then there were three.

The third of which was a blue turtle.

And yeah, it looked pretty real from here.

Wait a minute…

I looked at the old dude. "Squirtle only knows two attacks right now though, right?" Gawd, I could be such a complete nerd sometimes.

Said old dude looked like he wanted to smack himself in the face.

Fortunately for his brain cells (and the lab) the turtle knew another way to get rid of the flames.

And that was picking the book up while it was still on fire (luckily, the _only_ thing on fire), cart it outside, and throw it in the ocean.

I stared at it.

Because didn't he just…pick up a book? A _real_ book?

Now that I think about it, if that Charmander was a hologram, wouldn't it have been unable to set that book on fire?

And I was pretty sure that book was real, because I'd been able to _smell_ the burning pages.

Momentous thought process time.

Unfortunately for me, my brain chose that time to shut down. I felt someone's gaze, and turned to see the Squirtle staring at me.

I looked back.

We stared at each other. As this was going on, I vaguely heard battle noises in the background.

Were they _still_ fighting? Wow… Just wow…

I reached out a hand…and poked a blue forehead.

And I _felt_ it.

This was the most disturbing moment I'd had today. And _boy_, had today been full of disturbing moments.

I looked at the "professor," who might actually have been a real professor.

"So…what's going on?"

I said all of this calmly, because there was still a chance that this was all some elaborate prank, and these Pokémon were robots or something with artificial shells and stuff.

And maybe they had installed a flame on the tail of one of the robots.

And maybe that acrid smell wasn't the Squirtle's burned hands.

And maybe I was dreaming.

"Ah…" the man said, glancing at the two fighters. They looked like they were still going at it. He turned and sighed, "I know this must be confusing, but you're in a video game."

I nodded calmly. I see; he was mad. Either that or an extremely good actor for this hoax. Eccentric old men…you never know when they pop up to get you.

"And…you don't believe me."

"No, not really."

"Squirtle!"

We turned to look at the speaker. The Pokémon robot reached up and poked my hand, glaring at me. I glared back.

Well…wait.

I put my hand over its mouth, feeling hot air hit it. Moist air.

I put my hand over its chest, feeling a steady thump.

I put my hand over my own chest, and fell down to the floor with a different thump.

What the heck was going on?

* * *

**Thanks to Gentle Blossom, Species Unknown, and Pinkypink342 for reviewing!**


	4. Options and Preteens

Chapter 4: Options and Preteens

I couldn't stop the screaming in my head.

I mean, screaming, sure. It's a loud, perfectly _normal_ reaction to what could be the wackiest thing I discovered since bread with the butter side down.

No, I just could not believe this.

"You're kidding!" my eyes bugged. Unfortunately for me, I'm not a fainter, otherwise I probably would've been on the ground in a heap by now. Well, I was, but I hadn't passed out. More's the pity. Maybe I could've pretended it was a bad dream or something.

Yeah. Bad dreams. Haha, more like…good dreams, right?

I mean, if I _was_ in the Pokémon world.

Aside from the few terrifying aspects of it. Like how it pretty much equated to sanctioned dogfighting…

Yeah. Ahem, getting back to the point.

The point being "what the heck was going on?"

I needed answers. And I needed them fast. Before my brain exploded.

While on the inside, my brain had been moving like sludge, trying desperately to figure out what the _heck_ was happening, my _outside_…was getting angry. I got up, dusting myself off like nothing had happened.

"Hey…_Professor_, I need answers. Now," my voice lowered and I cast said person the evil eye.

He shook his head at me, unaffected by my tone, "I promise I'll explain later. Suffice to say that you are in the Pokémon world, and yes, I know where you're originally from. However…" he glanced to the side. "I'm not so sure you want everybody to know about this."

I followed his gaze, and saw the two boys were done fighting. Both of their Pokémon looked pretty beat up, to be honest. Though I didn't know _how_, since they only had two attacks each, only one of which would actually deal _damage_.

However, I knew better than to trust this goofy guy. I wouldn't get my hopes up. I doubted that this was the actual Pokémon world. There was an explanation for _everything_, and I would find it.

The fact that I was thinking this logically meant for _sure_ it wasn't a dream, along with the fact I'd been able to figure that out.

So…looking over my options.

Option one. This was all a bad dream. Well, I'd already explained the refutations on that point.

Option two. This was some weird film I'd been kidnapped for. They thought that I was some weirdo actress or someone who I _wasn't_. Now, I'd been told by a few people that I looked like some actress, though two of them had just finished giving me a makeover that they'd had to pull teeth to do and the other one was trying to hit on me, so I didn't really believe their words. Except for the fact that I was Asian. And people seemed to think they all looked the same, so it was plausible they _had_ mistaken me for some Asian actress. How embarrassing… However, if I didn't know any better, I'd say those three were Asian as well. Except for the coloring. It was weird, but it was something about the eyes and body structure, I'd say. But yeah, this theory was beginning to look less and less likely.

Option three. A psychology experiment or reality television show. Either way, everybody was in on the joke but me. They were trying to see if I was a delusional fool that would fall for their antics. And they had a bunch of money to blow on holographic images and/or robots. Plus insanely brilliant artists and OCD-like scene directors. Well, these last two things would apply to movie filming as well, but that option wasn't as probable as this one.

Option four. I was on drugs. I'm pretty sure I covered this before, but I don't do drugs. Unless they'd forced some on me while I was asleep. Scary thing is, I don't even _remember_ going to sleep.

Option five. This was the real deal. Nope, this was something I could not accept. Just no. Because that way lay dragons.

Well, I was betting on option three. I was pretty sure that everybody was getting a huge kick out of watching me lose it and everything. Man, I was _so_ going to kick whoever signed me up for this into the next dimension!

I wasn't necessarily a violent person, but I believed that there were times where it was necessary. Like when somebody decides I'd make a good victim. If I got any psychology problems from this (aside from what I probably already had) they would _so_ be paying for my therapist.

I was knocked out from my thoughts when "Red" walked up to me and glanced at my Pokémon. I raised an eyebrow at him, but he just looked at it, and then at me. I could see his forehead wrinkling. What the heck was his problem?

"Squirtle!" the robot (I refuse to call that thing a Pokémon) cried.

A small smile graced the boy's lips (because he just didn't seem to be the smiling type, so only a few times does he grace our presence with a smile) and he patted it on the head. I watched the robot close its eyes and make happy noises. Ppth. A realistic robot.

He sifted around in his backpack and retrieved a familiar-looking bottle.

I watched in quiet disbelief as he sprayed the turtle with it. The Potion didn't have much; only good for a few sprays, but it was enough to make those burns disappear.

Now how did the people arrange that? If this Pokémon was a robot, the very fact I'd felt a heartbeat, and breath (though those could easily be faked with modern technology) plus the fact that the bottle had taken away what seemed to be burns all added up to some heavy money usage on this. I couldn't explain the Potion phenomenon but I concluded that there was an explanation for everything.

And I'd unknowingly slipped into my scientific mode. Swell.

The turtle flashed red and disappeared at that moment.

"Blue" entered my sight soon after, shoving "Red" out of the way. The boy fell onto the ground, his hat covering his expression. But it probably wasn't too happy.

"So you got a Pokémon then? Heh, looks weak."

I shrugged. Since it was just a robot, I didn't really care too much.

"Blue" watched my face before sighing, "Man, you're just like Red. Why do I have to be surrounded by a bunch of losers like you?" he threw his hands in the air before shaking his head. "My name's Blue Oak, and silent one here is Red. That," he thumbed at the other fake Oak. "Is my gramps, but everybody calls him the Pokémon Professor."

"Hmm," I nodded. "Charmed, I'm sure." Usually I'm more polite, but this was just ridiculous! How long could they keep up this stupid-ass charade?

The boy glared at me.

I stared, confused. "What?"

"What's your _name_?" he rolled his eyes.

"Oh," I sighed. I didn't want to tell my true name to this bunch of bozos. Plus, if I _was_ on television (since this was a distinct possibility, I was using the indicative mood here), I wouldn't want to give away my name anyway. Then I realized. The name I'd come up with earlier. The name I'd laughed at for its complete nonsensicality and _catchiness_. Ha, eat this one up, audience!

"The name's Hall. Catch M. Hall," I smirked.

No reaction? Not even to _Bond_? Or my _ridiculous pun_? Man, these guys were _good_.

"Catch M. Hall? What a weird name," the spiky-haired punk snorted.

"So says the person named after a _color_," I jibed.

"Better than a lame name like Catch."

"You can think one better? What, did you want me to be named something ridiculous like _Leaf_ or something?"

"Would've been better than Catch. That's a verb, ya know."

"Oh, you're just full of wit and wonder, aren't you? It can also be a noun, stupid."

"You're the stupid one."

"Takes one to know one."

"That's it!" he didn't have much of an anger threshold, did he? Then again, _I_ was about ready to smack his face in. This whole situation was just plain ludicrous!

"Red" shoved his way between us, shaking his head and holding us apart. Boy, was he _strong_.

Why was an eleven-year-old boy stronger than an eighteen-year-old? Granted, I was a _girl_, but still.

I froze at that moment.

Because no matter what, I should've been taller than an eleven-year-old any day.

The fact that I _wasn't_, plus his super-strength…

I glanced down.

And I screamed. For real.

I can be kind of dense, but this took the cake.

Because I was, again, a _preteen_.

And you know how I knew _that_?

Suffice to say that I was missing two…weights. And I hadn't noticed they were gone until now. I blame my completely obtuse personality.

Brain used Explode. It's super-effective! Catch fainted.

* * *

**Thanks Pinkypink342 for being the sole and brave reviewer here! :D**


	5. Explanations and First Impressions

Chapter 5: Explanations and First Impressions

When I came to, I saw two pairs of eyes blinking down at me. One black and another brown that sometimes looked green.

Was it hazel then?

But that didn't really fit either. Whatever.

I groaned, getting up. I'd never _fainted_ in my _life_. I just didn't have that type of personality. And yet, here I was. On the floor.

I don't think anybody can blame me for it either.

"Are you okay, Catch?" asked the old guy.

"I-I'm not sure…" I muttered, brain confused. This _couldn't_ be happening. All my theories were blown out the window with this latest revelation.

Because I was in a preteen's body. _My_ preteen body.

And it was unbelievably impossible. Yet here it was.

I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed before. Sure, I've walked into doorways and I've tripped over air. Yeah, I've gotten so caught up in reading I hadn't noticed a fire drill go off, and true, I've gotten so caught up in getting to school on time I wore my shirt on backward until somebody pointed it out.

But I wasn't _that_ oblivious, was I?

…

Okay, stupid question. Sure, I'd gotten a bit clumsier, but I'd assumed it was because of my _natural_ clumsiness. I didn't expect there to actually be a _reason_.

Great. All those times I'd practiced being graceful and here I'd have to start over. I'd recently managed to trip and recover without too much embarrassment, even replicating the whole "graceful recovery" once. You know, the thing you see on movies. Yeah, I'm proud of it, and don't laugh! It was a momentous event for me!

Yeah, you know what? Just forget I said anything. Point is...I was a gawky preteen again.

This whole day was just getting better and better.

And I _still_ hadn't gotten my morning shower.

I think someone up there hates me.

Ahem, back to the topic. I was currently sprawled on the ground, _again_. Except a lot more embarrassing this time, because the boys weren't distracted by a Pokémon battle.

And I realized…this was probably real. Against evidence like this…I couldn't deny it.

I was in the Pokémon game.

That meant…shit! They thought I was crazy! I would too! I mean, some random girl you _don't know_ crashes your first day of getting a Pokémon, babbling about kidnapping, identity confusion, and filming…

Yeah. I hadn't really made a good first impression. Plus the fainting. Yeah. It was a wonder they hadn't called the police on me.

Can I just die right now?

No? Shame…

I noticed that the two Oaks (and yes, they were probably _true_ Oaks, not cosplayers or actors or anything) were both keeping a careful distance from me. They didn't even help me up. Jerks.

I stumbled up, holding my head. It hurt, but that was expected.

Well, if I was in the Pokémon world, I had to change my strategy. So far, I'd been treating this whole shindig as if it wasn't real, but that would have to change.

Green (I sure as heck wasn't going to call him _Blue_) was currently giving me a speculative look. I _knew_ that look. It was the look a bully gave to somebody they were considering a potential victim. No. I wasn't dealing with _that_ anymore. Time to switch up the power structure. Or at least not have a "victim" sign painted over my head.

I gave them both a cool look. Well, I couldn't yell at either of them for not helping me up and not being gentlemen _now_. That would imply _weakness_, a need for it. As if I _needed_ to depend on men.

And if I was anything, I was independent. I didn't need _anybody_ to pick me up.

"Sorry. I merely had a revelation. A powerful one," I gave a pointed stare at the professor, who blinked at me.

"Revelation?" he asked.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Some revelations are powerful enough to cause the person who experiences them to pass out."

"And…this revelation?"

"I don't feel like telling you." I had to work to prevent my face from contorting into a grin.

At their shocked looks, I turned my head from them in contempt, not missing Green's narrowed eyes. Good, let him wonder. I wasn't going to be a victim anymore.

No more _prey_.

I would be a _predator_.

Because _now_… Now I knew where I was. Now I wasn't caught off guard. Now I wasn't disadvantaged. I was in _control_.

This was the Pokémon video game world, according to Professor Oak. And if anybody knew about the Pokémon video game world, it was _me_.

Well. Me and a million other fans.

My eyes met Red, and unlike Green's calculating gaze, his was more _concern_. Good ol' Red. Always so caring. He took a step forward, glanced me over, and then nodded. I could tell he was making sure I wasn't hurt.

Why? Because I _knew_ Red.

And he wasn't an a-hole like someone _else_ I knew.

Those two thought in completely different ways, yet there were still similarities. For instance, their shared goal of being a Pokémon Master. But yeah. Still different.

"Sorry, didn't mean to faint on you, Red," I apologized sheepishly. I didn't need to worry so much about being tough around _him_.

He shook his head. _It's all right._

Now that I knew for sure that these guys were who they were, they were a heckuva lot easier to read.

Well, I'd have to ask Professor Oak to confirm this. He knew about why I was here, so…yeah.

"So…" I said, leaning my body back and raising my head. "Are we done here?"

Professor Oak shot me a look, brows furrowed, before nodding. "Raise your young Pokémon by making it battle. It has to battle for it to grow."

"Hmm," Green said. "I'll do that…and toughen it up. Smell ya guys later!" he stomped over to the door and slammed it open before leaving.

I take it he lost against Red then?

Red nodded at the professor and me both before following Green, expression betraying nothing. If there was ever a person who could be called "cool" it was him.

I turned to Professor Oak, eyes glinting. "So…we're alone now. Explain."

He took a deep breath. "Okay. Have you ever heard of Game Freak?"

I nodded. The company that had made the Pokémon games. "What about them?"

"Well, it turns out that they've been experimenting with technology," he sighed. "Technology that allows them to access the Pokémon world."

"Access?"

"Yes," he nodded. "This is the Pokémon video game world. Except that here, it's not just a video game. It's our _world_. Several years ago, two people from our world disappeared. We all thought that they had died, but they had somehow managed to access a new world. Yours, to be specific."

I froze. "What were their names?"

"Both were famous researchers at Silph Company. One was a new researcher, and was eager to prove himself. He ended up having a family with a child named Red. The other had already worked in numerous projects…and was Blue's father. In your world they were called Satoshi Tajiri and Shigeru Miyamoto, respectively.

My jaw dropped.

"Satoshi Tajiri and Shigeru Miyamoto were the people who developed 'Pocket Monsters', more popularly known as Pokémon. They created the first games: Red and Green."

I just sat there and stared.

"You see, there is something about this world that you don't know. Unlike your world, which goes on and on and on, ours is in a continual loop. Starting from Red setting off, to him becoming the Pokémon Master and completing his Pokédex. Each time, it's changed a bit. For instance, when they left, it was right after Red became the Pokémon Master. Both Red and Blue had different outfits, and Red had black hair while Blue was called Green. Not only this, but we all spoke Japanese. Now, not only have our appearances changed, the loop ends after Red manages to catch all the Pokémon _and_ conquer the Sevii Islands. Plus, every other loop our language changes to be different from Japanese. You were just lucky you landed in an English-speaking one."

I shook my head, flustered at all of this.

The professor continued: "Our worlds are so different, so it's no wonder that the two men's presence in your world is creating an imbalance. However, they are unable to return to this world, and don't desire to. Their hypothesis is that if they send natives from your world to ours, then it would balance this out. Hence, video games. Their _real purpose_ involves a special technology the two developed that allows one to 'dimension hop' to their corresponding region. Every single game they've manufactured has been embedded with this technology.

"However, this didn't work out as planned. Except for you, every person that received an 'altered game' was unable to get through to this world, just like Tajiri and Miyamoto."

I scratched my head. Man, this was complicated.

"They never gave up, though. They concluded that this was because the games were 'imperfect' somehow, so they kept working hard to perfect them."

"And now they have?"

The professor nodded, "It seems that is the case."

I stared at the wall. This was just a bit much to comprehend. However, eventually I accepted this ridiculous theory for the truth it was. My own body was the proof.

"Why am I eleven years old then?" I questioned. "Originally, I'm eighteen."

"Hmm, I have no idea," the professor's face turned pensive. "Well, when they both dimension hopped, they were infants. Our hypothesis is that it's because children's bodies are more malleable and able to handle the differences in dimension."

"Why wasn't I an infant then?" I queried, getting into scientific mode myself.

"I think you came over here at this age because of the momentous change that happens on every eleven-year-old's birthday. You are officially eligible for a trainer's license, enabling you to catch and train Pokémon. It also might have something to do with the player's age at the game's beginning."

Well, this was as good a rationalization as I could come up with myself. I filed it under my list of dubiously acceptable explanations for why the heck this all was happening to me.

I had a lot of these.

"So you were expecting me?"

"Not really. You see, the two have been looking into this for a while, and you're the first success. I just expected them and the other researchers working on this to be more…prompt. Like not being so late."

"Eheh…" I scratched my head. "Wait, then why did you have the two boys waiting for so long then?"

"You're a sharp one…" he sighed. "Well, last night, Miyamoto contacted me saying he'd felt a disturbance in the rift, or the wall between this dimension and ours. It seems they're both hypersensitive to that now or something."

"Oh, so dimensions aren't actually like overlapping plates?"

"It's…a bit complicated. I don't think you really want to hear this explanation now. Especially since you need to set off on your journey."

"Journey?"

"Yes, weren't you paying attention? The loop ends after Red conquers the Sevii Islands and completes the Pokédex. And what will happen to you then?"

"Um…will I be allowed to leave?"

"Hopefully, but we don't know for sure. Either way, it's a good idea if you're with him when that happens. Which means you need to catch up with him."

"But he's going to return with the parcel for you right?" yay for video game knowledge!

"Oh, yes!" it seemed that Professor Oak was still forgetful no matter _what_ dimension you were in.

"So…how do you know all this anyway?"

"Tajiri and Miyamoto managed to find a way so that, despite the loops, we three share computer files. It has something to do with cloud computing, I think. There's even a built-in translator. They're a pair of geniuses," he shook his head.

I shook _my_ head. I couldn't even _comprehend_ how they could do this. I knew for sure that cloud computing didn't cross dimensions. "How did they end up in my world in the _first_ place?"

"I think they mentioned a creation trio. Supposedly, there are even more Pokémon than the ones from our region, Johto, and Hoenn. I'm not sure why the Pokémon did this though. But with the file sharing, we're able to communicate pretty easily."

I couldn't help but be a bit overwhelmed. There was just so much information to take in. "Is it okay if I look at the research notes before Red returns?"

The man nodded, "Yes, please do," his eyes gleamed, recognizing a fellow academic. "However, I need to call Blue up first. Unlike Red, he doesn't have a reason to return."

So…seeing his grandpa one last time wasn't reason enough? Horrid boy. Then again, this _was_ Oak. The blabber-on. I'd get a bit annoyed with that too after a while.

I nodded, waiting patiently while the professor used his computer to message Green about coming back to the lab. I wasn't sure how he received it, though I assumed he must have used the Viridian City computer.

Afterwards, I sifted through the files. My brow puckered at the surfeit of information. "So…how am I going to be able to access this after I start my journey?" I asked.

"Simple," the professor replied. "I spent the whole night adding a chip in your Pokédex with all of this at hand. And every time you log in to a personal computer with your Pokédex, then you'll be able to receive updates."

I nodded. This made sense.

"However, I will warn you. According to Miyamoto, you probably will have to complete _your_ Pokédex as well. Plus be there when Red conquers the Sevii Islands."

"Hmm…" I mused. "I guess that makes sense, as much as anything here does. So…complete my Pokédex and the Sevii Islands experience. Not too difficult." I made a face. Of _course_ it was difficult! This meant that I'd have to capture _Mew_! And how the heck would I do _that_?

"Fortunately, you and Red can trade Pokémon with this link cable." And to my surprise, the professor actually handed me a _link cable_.

"So…um, what do I do with this?" I asked.

"You can connect your Pokédexes with this," the man explained patiently. "Here," he handed me a Pokédex. "Here's the port," he showed me a slot on the side.

"Oh, okay," I muttered, trying to equate link cables, which came from my world, with this world. Then I wondered: "Wait! Do we have to complete the _National _Pokédex as well?

The professor nodded, grimacing.

"Oh my gawd!" I screamed at the ceiling, losing my academic cool.

At that very moment, Red himself came in.

Great. Not doing _anything_ for first impressions here.

* * *

Hey all! Thanks for all your awesome feedback! **Ludicrously Unappealing, awesomeness127, Pinkypink342, Fallen Vanguard, and kenegi, you're all awesome!**

Heh, awesomeness aside, I have another disclaimer.

**Disclaimer: What is all above is all a work of _fanfiction!_ That means it's all false! No, the creators of Pokémon are not actually super dimensional geniuses, though I think we can all agree that it would be pretty awesome if they were! :D If I am breaking any rules or laws by including their names below, then please inform me and I shall change it. I pretty much pulled the plot below out of my butt, so don't take it too seriously.**

I was inspired when I read Satoshi Tajiri's profile on Wikipedia. It mentioned that the two main characters were named after him and Shigeru Miyamoto, respectively. I thought: "hmm." And then an idea was born. XD


	6. Battles and Nicknames

Chapter 6: Battles and Nicknames

I looked at Red with new eyes. Poor boy. Forced to endlessly defeat Team Rocket, the Pokémon League, and complete the Pokédex. And not just any Pokédex but the _National_ one! Speaking of that, how the heck were we going to do _that_?

Life was just _too_ complicated right now.

And if I didn't go with Red, then what would happen to me? What if Red managed to do everything to complete the loop? Would I be stuck, just like the rest of them in an endless loop? Would I remember anything, or would my memories be wiped? Would all of them be wiped, or just the ones I'd received in this world? Or would I disappear? Maybe all of this would still happen if I were to complete the Pokédex and conquer the Sevii Islands with Red. But it was my best bet for getting out of this insane situation.

I walked over to the boy, who was in the process of handing the professor a package. He didn't look tired at all from the walk, but then again, this was _Red_. I doubt he _ever_ got tired.

"Hey, Red," I walked over and smiled at him. "How was it out there?"

He gave me a look that plainly said: _why haven't _you_ started your journey?_

I smiled, "Oh, I just had some questions for the professor, that's all."

He nodded, and at that moment the door opened _again_. But this time, it _slammed_ open, and Green stomped in. "Gramps!" He swaggered up next to us while simultaneously completely ignoring us. Jerk. "I almost forgot! What did you call me for?"

"Oh right! I have a request for you."

At this, the professor started talking about the Pokédex. Of course, I already knew this and the professor knew this too, but I guess the boys _didn't_. Which struck me as highly improbable, but whatever. He could do what he wanted, I guess.

After the old man handed us the Pokédex he handed us Poké Balls as well. Sweet!

Green sniffed at the two of us. "All right, gramps! Leave it to me! You two, I hate to say it, but you won't be necessary for this." A grin shot across his face. "I know! I'll borrow a Town Map from my sis! I'll tell her not to lend you two losers one!"

I glared at him, while Red just sighed and shook his head. Ignoring what the a-hole was about to say (probably "smell ya later"), I stomped up to him. "Listen buster!" I poked his shirt collar, eliciting a shocked gasp. Snickering at this, I continued, "You may think you're all that, but don't think that just because you're the professor's grandson that it means we'll let you be an a-hole! Right, Red?"

Red sighed but nodded. See? No matter how quiet he was, it didn't mean he'd just take bullying lying down!

The boy rolled his eyes, obviously unaffected. I'd have to change that. Nobody ever took me seriously because I was a girl, but that always changed. I had a way of getting my message across, and I didn't even need to use violence. Suffice to say that humans don't react well to death-stares.

Before I could say anything though, Red put a hand on my shoulder and shook his head. What? No fair…

I couldn't really get mad at _Red_, and it was kind of hard to be immature around him too. Lame…

How could Red be more mature than me when he was just _eleven years old_?

Well, truthfully, I wasn't a paragon of maturity among my age-group… Even outside my age group.

Okay, fine. Whatever. So I'd mentally adjusted myself to fit in with younger people, sue me. Most of my relatives near my age were younger, and it was the only way not to go insane from their obsession with what my age-group would deem: "immature toys and idealistic constructions." Yeah, my age-group…they could be a-holes at times. Then again, so could most people.

Red shot me one of his rare smiles, which made me feel warm inside (not in _that_ way! My gawd, he was just eleven years old you perverts!). No, I was one of those stupid people that felt warm inside whenever_anybody_ smiled at me. Because I liked it when people got along, and when they were happy. I was kind of a chameleon that way.

So, back to the point. Even though Green hadn't pissed me off while playing the game (because he was just a bunch of pixels) here I felt ready to punch his face in. And I wasn't mature enough to hide those feelings.

And I wasn't even a violent person. The most violent action I'd ever taken against bullies was shoving one into a mud puddle. Yeah. It was kind of funny, actually, though I'd felt stupidly guilty about it for years. But not anymore! I am ready to face the epic truth: shoving bullies into mud puddles? Hilarious.

But yeah. Internally, I was oh-so-violent. And Green's face needed a Picasso done on it.

In the end, I was really glad I wasn't going to travel with Green.

Then again, I'd have to deal with him whenever he went up against Red. Great.

"You're lucky _Blue_," I spat. "Red here doesn't want to see me rearrange your face." I was bluffing, but _he_ didn't know that.

And the bastard didn't care either. He smirked, "I'd like to see you try. Why don't we have a Pokémon battle? If you win, I'll acknowledge you as a rival."

"I don't want to be acknowledged as your _rival_." More like his deliverer unto the almighty mud puddle. But this would give him the message not to mess with me. Hmm, the prospect was tempting.

"What do you want then? To be a weakling forever?" he sneered.

That was _it_! I grabbed my Poké Ball, which I'd set down on the table. "You'll be eating your words, you spiky ass foo'!" I owed that wonderful quote to Barret Wallace. Yes, I was a Final Fantasy nerd. Yes, I was a nerd in general. Deal with it.

Yep. Still needed that morning shower. I always used that to wake me up, rather than coffee. Because caffeine had this nasty tendency to not work on me when I was tired. Yeah, go figure.

Red made a choking sound that sounded suspiciously like laughter.

"_What_ did you call me?" Green's eyes twitched.

"What, need me to repeat?" I mocked, "Man, I thought for sure being born in a genius family, you'd be one too. Guess I was wrong."

Okay. Not the smartest thing to say. Mentioning Green's family at all? Taboo subject. Probably because of his disappeared father and…whatever happened to his mother. I should probably avoid it around Red too.

Green's eyes turned practically murderous, and I heard Professor Oak's intake of breath.

"What do _you_ know about my family?" his teeth were gritted. "You're just an outsider, a _nobody_. Nobody at Viridian even _knows_ about you."

I was surprised that he'd even thought to ask around, but eh, whatever. Despite what I'd said, he was a pretty sharp individual. He probably grew suspicious. Heck, I was sure Red would become suspicious of me too if he wasn't already. Gah! More problems to deal with.

"That's because she's not from here," Oak said. Wow. Pure genius in a statement. "She came here to get a Pokémon."

Green looked like he wanted to ask more (like _where_ exactly was I from?), but left it alone. "Whatever. We're here to battle," he spoke.

"Yeah, you're right," I returned. "Squirtle, I choose you!"

"Charmander, go!"

Both Pokémon appeared in flashes of white. After the Potion, I was pretty sure my Squirtle was at full health. It was strong against fire anyway. Not that that really mattered at their current levels, but whatever.

"Charmander, use Scratch!"

"Squirtle, dodge!" I yelled.

The Charmander lunged at my turtle, and said turtle was too slow to get out of the way. I winced as I saw the claws score marks across its cheek. Good thing Pokémon were pretty hardy. Green's Charmander had recently been in a battle, but it showed no sign of it. He must have healed it up.

"Squirtle, use Tackle!" I commanded.

It nodded at me and charged. I watched it ram right against the Charmander, and winced again. To tell the truth, I was pretty shaken. Battles were a lot more…violent than I'd expected.

As the battle progressed, my squeamishness increased.

I watched them tear and attack each other. It…made me feel sick. Green was cheering his Pokémon on like someone with a bet in a cockfight.

"Yeah! Go, Charmander, shove him into the ground!"

Scratch after Tackle after Scratch. I watched the blood fly. I watched the bruises form.

I watched as they basically mauled each other.

Finally, I shouted out: "Stop! Stop! I can't handle this anymore!"

I rushed forward, checking my Pokémon, "Are you all right, Squirtle?"

The Pokémon blinked at me, and made to get up. "_No_! You don't need to battle this guy anymore, all right?"

"What a wimp," Green sneered. "You can't even handle one battle."

I gritted my teeth. But he was right. I _couldn't_. "We shouldn't have to drag Pokémon into our petty concerns," I spat at him. "I can handle you, fist to fist, any day."

"How _barbaric_."

"_This_ is barbaric!"

"What are you talking about? Everybody knows Pokémon are stronger than humans! Injuries that would cripple us are just a minor setback for these guys."

"It's still barbaric," I couldn't help it. There were things that wouldn't change, and that was my unwillingness to do this.

Professor Oak coughed, "You will have to learn to battle, Miss Hall."

"No way," I replied. "Maybe enough to catch a Pokémon, but I just…can't do this competitive battle thing."

"Then you shouldn't have become a trainer," Green scoffed.

"I don't have a _choice_!" I shouted at him.

He became quiet.

"I wouldn't mind becoming something like a doctor or a researcher, but that's not a choice for me."

"Why not?" he asked.

I shook my head, "It doesn't matter."

Professor Oak sent me a look of pity.

I gritted my teeth at that. I hated pity. It made me feel _weak_.

I would become strong, to make up for my Pokémon. Sure, I would train them. But not against other Pokémon. Or at least not to the point of fainting. Maybe there were alternate methods, like in the anime?

"Are there other ways to train Pokémon besides battling?" I asked the professor.

He nodded, "There are, but usually it's easier to battle other—"

"I told you I'm not doing that!"

The room became silent.

I shook my head, "I don't give a damn anymore. I'm leaving."

I stomped outside, my Squirtle following.

Once outside, I took a deep breath. The outdoors always seemed to calm me down, for some reason. The sun shining down, the breeze cupping my face, the chirping of birds. Though these ones were probably Pokémon.

"I'm sorry for the outburst back there," I spoke to my Squirtle as if it knew what I was saying. And maybe it did. "I just couldn't handle seeing you get beat up."

"Squirtle…" its tone bespoke confusion.

"I'm sorry," I lowered my body so that I could see it better. "I guess…you probably wanted to fight. Heck, you don't even see a problem with it!" I laughed, a low, bitter sound.

Why had I been dropped into this world?

Why couldn't I just go home?

I'd thought that if I'd fallen into the Pokémon world that I would enjoy it very much. But no, this wasn't what I wanted. I was seeing the darker side of Pokémon, and I didn't like it.

I just wanted to go home, where eleven-year-old children didn't consider it normal to have a creature beat another to the point where the other passed out. It reminded me of war, and how world leaders employed soldiers to fight for them instead of duking it out with each other like _real_ men. Err...and women.

It sickened me.

"Hey," I spoke to my Pokémon to distract myself. "I haven't yet given you a name, huh?"

"Squirtle!" the Pokémon burbled.

I laughed. "Do you want to be named Squirtle then?"

The Pokémon thought about this, and shrugged. It seemed very laid-back.

"Well, then. I've personally always been a fan of nicknames, so…let's see here."

I fiddled around with the Pokédex, finally aiming it at the turtle and messing with buttons. After a few seconds of this, I finally clicked the right button.

"It says here that you're a male. Well, then, I've got the perfect nickname!"

"…Squirt?"

"Mock Turtle!"

At this, a mysterious floating gray window appeared before me. _Error: too many characters._

"What?" I shouted, and sighed. "Fine, Mock for short. That good enough?"

No response. Of course. I think I _was_ going mad.

Mock nodded at me. Yes, he did not get the reference to either the soup or the book. Which was good, in a way. I wasn't sure he'd be too happy to be named after a soup _or_ a character that looked like it was put together from a children's mix and match book.

"Well then, Mock. My goal is to complete my Pokédex and travel to the Sevii Islands, not to be the greatest trainer or all that crap. Is that all right with you?"

The Pokémon nodded, seeming pleased, which made sense. According to my dex, he was a gentle soul. I doubted his personality was that suited for battling anyway.

"Well, Mock, it's time to set out on our journey!" I exclaimed, pointing a finger at the distance. My earlier melancholy had evaporated in the face of this beautiful day and my wonderful Pokémon.

"Squirtle!"

And, completely forgetting about the others, we both stepped onto Route 1. Our journey had begun.

* * *

Ermahgerd. Shit just got real.

Fun Fact: I used a random number generator to determine my Pokémon's gender and nature, so it was a lucky coincidence they ended up how they were. I also determined Red and Green's Pokémon. Factoring in the 87.5% chance of them being male, they both still ended up female XDD! I changed it though, because I had always thought of their canon Pokémon as being male. I don't know why, but yeah. Maybe I'm sexist. Ffft.

**Thank you awesomeness127, kenegi, Pinkypink342, and Fallen Vanguard for reviewing! :D**


	7. Routes and Centers

Chapter 7: Routes and Centers

With the breeze flowing past us, I felt like it was whispering messages of our start to the paths beyond. We would follow it, and it would be our messenger.

Such was the hope we both felt.

I didn't really want to return Mock to his ball, so I kept him out. The turtle didn't seem to mind one way or another, but I thought he'd enjoy the sunshine as much as I did.

I couldn't believe my luck at gaining such a mild, helpful partner. For some reason, I'd always felt that if I'd ever fallen into the Pokémon world, then I would have to catch a Rattata or something. Not that I had anything against them. If I were to be truthful, then they were kind of adorable.

That was why when I saw the Rattata I didn't hesitate to throw a ball at it. I didn't want to fight, just wanted to capture it. Maybe I could train a halfway decent team to help me against the stronger Pokémon?

Fortunately for me, the ball made the clicking noise that meant a successful capture (after smacking the Pokémon in the side, ouch). I grinned, attempting a cheesy pose like Ash always did.

And at that moment, Red arrived on the scene.

Man, he probably thought I was insane by now.

My Pokédex made a beeping noise, and I checked at it as a list of information on Rattata scrolled across the screen. Hmm, it seemed that they were like most rodents in needing to whittle their fangs down. Maybe I'd have to get it a block of hard wood like I had for my hamster.

Red tilted his head to the side and made a series of hand gestures that I realized was sign language. Wait, so was he literally mute then? Well, I didn't know _any_ form of sign language, so I couldn't understand him. Did he think my cheesy pose was sign language, then?

I shrugged at him, to which he shrugged back and took out a notebook.

_Professor Oak said you had something to ask me? _He held it out to me, and I bit my lip.

Wow. He sure didn't beat around the bush.

"Oh…um, I was wondering," I'd only blushed once before in my life, but I wouldn't be surprised if I was doing it now. Stupid Professor Oak for putting me in these situations! I _hated_ asking people for favors!

"Is it okay…if I travel with you?" I widened my eyes at him, desperation pushing my acting abilities to their limits. I could never tell if they worked or not though.

He shrugged and nodded. Wow. How…anticlimactic. Then again, this was _Red_ we were talking about. He probably couldn't care one way or another.

_Professor Oak also signed you up as a trainer,_ he wrote. Wait, when did that old dude have time to do _that_? The boy handed me a blue card. I received it dumbly, my eyes skimming over it. Name: Catch M. Hall, Gender: Female, ID: 11041. Well, that was easy enough to remember.

Then he handed me a map, and I realized I'd forgotten to grab one from Daisy. Oops. Or oopsy _daisy_?

Okay, bad pun.

I followed the boy after pocketing the two items (I needed to buy a backpack), grateful for the way he just accepted me, without question. He'd seen me in so many stupid situations so far, but he didn't care, and let me be. It was…refreshing, not to be judged. I couldn't remember the last time I'd met a person that _hadn't_ judged me.

The silence felt peaceful. Red and I both caught a Pidgey (he also caught a Rattata), though I wasted a ball on the first try.

Some weirdo wearing a shop apron stopped us before we got too far. Well, I got a free Potion out of it so I didn't complain!

Before we knew it, we'd reached Viridian City.

I looked around. It was the first place with more than three buildings! Now it had _five_!

"You ever notice how small your cities are?" I asked the boy.

His forehead wrinkled before shaking his head. How adorable. He looked like a little lost kitten right then and there.

I chuckled, "That's all right. They'll get bigger," I looked up. All the buildings were facing the same way…_again_!

This place was…weird.

"Hey, Mock, do you want to heal up?" I asked him. The Squirtle nodded, and we both walked into the Pokémon Center.

The inside was exactly as I'd pictured, with the pretty scarlet and cream coloring the Centers were known for. There were a few people here, but they looked pretty harmless.

"Hmm," I murmured.

Red walked up to the counter, bringing out three Poké Balls. I looked at the nurse, who wore her pink hair tied back in two buns. She also wore a nurse hat. Yep, stereotypical generic nurse character.

While the boy somehow communicated to her (probably using his notepad again), I walked up to the "Personal Computer." A black screen. Curious, I clicked a button, and a login screen appeared. Great. Another one of these. Moving the touchpad over to "Register" I entered in all my information. Strangely, they didn't ask for your address (in fact, only your name and ID number were truly required, the rest was just fluff).

When I finished, I looked behind to see Red walking up to me, his hands in his pockets. He nodded at me, and I nodded back. Wow. This was pretty cool. I was exchanging nods with _Red_!

Okay, all joking aside, it _was_ pretty dang awesome to actually _meet_ Red. Especially since I always saw him as just…some avatar of the player. I never had really given him a _personality_. Granted, said personality was pretty quiet. But it was still a personality…right?

I walked up to Nurse Joy, passing Red, who was presumably heading to the PC to register.

"Welcome to our Pokémon Center!" she beamed at me, the epitome of cheer.

"…Thanks?" I raised an eyebrow (something I'd worked on being able to do, actually).

"Would you like me to heal your Pokémon back to perfect health?" she just said it all so…peppy-ish. It was almost _alien_. I could definitely see a Pan-Am smile here. What would it be like to work here, and deal with grumpy trainers day and night? I wouldn't want to get on her bad side, that's for sure.

Wait. I still hadn't replied to her.

"Yes, thank you," I said, quickly reaching in my pockets and handing over my Poké Balls (that could be resized at will, which was pretty cool). I remembered Mock was still out, and recalled him before handing his Poké Ball over.

"May I see your ID please?" she asked.

Well, _this_ was new. Sighing, I fumbled around for my ID before finding it and handing it to her. She barely glanced at it, passing it underneath a beeping scanner. Well, _that_ was ominous. Would this all go under a trainer tab or something?

"It's just used to track the activities of trainers," the nurse explained, probably having had to do that many times before. "Although you don't pay for our services, it's helpful for the Pokémon Center managers to know that these facilities are being used, and if not, then why. Some Centers, like the one near Mt. Moon, aren't as frequently used, but we get a lot of traffic through here, what with our proximity to the Indigo Plateau."

I nodded. Wow, so this could be used to track trainer activity. So how did Team Rocket slip through then?

As the nurse had been talking, she'd also been stuffing the balls in scooped-out hollows on a machine that looked like the one in the game. You know, the one that looks like some giant alien device!

The machine beeped for some time, and then it was done.

"Thank you for waiting. We've restored your Pokémon to full health. We hope to see you again!"

I paused in the process of leaving. "You do know that sounds ridiculous, right? Why would you want to see me again? Doesn't that mean you want my Pokémon to be injured?"

The nurse smiled, "No matter what, your Pokémon are going to be injured. Better to bring them here than otherwise. That's all."

"Oh," I felt kind of foolish for my outburst. "Well, if that's the case…"

Shaking my head, I approached Red, who was sitting down on one of the many pillow-chairs surrounding a glass table.

"Well, all done," I spoke, thoughts elsewhere. My mind was busy wandering over the concept of five-second healing.

The boy nodded, and something about it sharpened my focus. I realized now that he had a very strange atmosphere. The calm way he sat, (actually, more like _lounged_) with his hat shading his eyes, eyes that seemed to look right through you, unnerved me. He had his arms folded over his chest in a relaxed position, but there was a readiness to his posture. It reminded me of an eager girlfriend waiting at the phone, for a call she's sure will come. That was Red. He was waiting for…what exactly?

And no, it wasn't me. Not specifically.

Suddenly, I realized it. He was waiting for somebody to challenge him. Right here and now, in a Pokémon Center! Where battles weren't allowed!

"You need to chill," I advised, sitting down beside him. "Nobody's going to battle you _here_."

He said nothing, but he didn't need to. I could sense the disagreement. It was expressed in little ways, from the tightening of his arms to the narrowing of his eyes.

"Battling's not allowed in Pokémon Centers," I explained, glancing around. Everybody around avoided my eyes. Yep. Even eye contact was forbidden, it seemed. The old gentleman sitting nearby was tending to a Pidgey. The youngster-trainer person was looking at some Pokémon magazine, and there was a boy…just standing there. …What the heck was he doing? Well, whatever. He wasn't looking at _us_, wait…was he checking out the nurse?

"Should we go then?" I asked Red, feeling a tad uncomfortable. That other guy was just so…blatant about it. It was kinda creepy actually, the way he just…stood there, staring.

Nodding, Red got up and headed for the door. A bit abrupt…but I got it. At least he held the door open, so he had basic manners (not that manners would really count for much in this world, though).

"Thanks," I muttered, and walked past to look around. I knew what I wanted to do now.

"First shopping for a backpack and stuff, and then…exploration time!" I ended with a chirp, grinning broadly. I would explore this five-building town to the utmost! Wait a minute…that meant barging into random people's houses, talking to them, and taking their stuff.

This would be a lot harder to do in real life.

Well, Red was an expert at it (if the games were any indication). I'd just follow his lead.

"It's time…to buy things."

Wait a minute… Did I have money?

* * *

The ID number was actually gotten from Bulbapedia, looking through random ID numbers. I thought it'd be cool if I chose that one, since an Audino is the main charrie of my other Pokémon fanfic.

**Thank you very much Fallen Vanguard, Pinkypink342, kenegi, and awesomeness127 for reviewing!**


	8. Marts and Money

Chapter 8: Marts and Money

No money…

Wasn't I supposed to start out with money? According to the ridiculous laws of this dimension anyway, which I still didn't fully comprehend.

Well, actually…

I glanced down at myself.

I wasn't _completely_ changed by all this. I didn't have the default backpack. Nor the default satchel. Nor any default female starter clothes. It might be because Red was the canon protagonist, and apparently the Schrödinger Player Character trope applied in this dimension. If Red was here, Leaf (though there is some debate over the validity of the name "Leaf" for the female protagonist, but I'm going to call her that until a better name pops up…like Blue or Green or something) wasn't. Which was too bad, because I'd wanted to meet her. She seemed like a female version of Red, and I thought that'd be pretty cool to see.

Yep. Even though whatever-powers-that-brought-me-here ended up changing my age, they hadn't changed my appearance. I hadn't suddenly turned into a Leaf lookalike (although I did have her hair, but that was pure coincidence).

I was just wearing a plain cerulean blue t-shirt and my favorite red shorts, socks that matched my shirt, and my white-and-red tennis shoes (wait, was I wearing these clothes when I transferred? Dang forgetfulness). But these clothes, now that I thought of it, looked eerily similar to Leaf's in some ways. Well, at least I wasn't wearing a hat. Though I did like her hat. Why the heck did I not have a hat? Yes, I wasn't a hat person, but still! Oh man, now I wanted a hat. And not just any hat. A _Leaf_ hat.

And since this universe…thing, hadn't bothered to change my appearance or even give me a bag, it figured that it wouldn't bother to give me _money_ either. Come to think of it, if I _had_ belonged here, I probably wouldn't have had to have Oak get a trainer card for me (and I looked _so_ good in the picture…not. I was busy arguing with Green, so I had a very angry expression. Why the heck would he take a picture of _that_? Was it just because I was distracted?) since all the game protagonists I'd played started out with their own trainer cards.

So…no money. I was stuck.

This meant…I had to ask Red.

I turned slowly, agonizingly, my feet reluctant to move.

He was behind me, staring out at the trees lining Route 1.

He made quite a sight, with his hair rustling in the wind, eyes gazing at something in the distance. Was it Pallet Town? I wasn't sure, but he seemed kind of…sad.

I turned away quietly, not wanting to disturb him, and looked myself. Nope. Just trees, paths, and tall grass. Wait, there was the faintest hint of a rooftop…maybe. It was hard, because Viridian was on a higher elevation than Pallet. I knew, because Route 1 was just a steady incline with a few ledges.

Eventually I moved, which seemed to shake Red out of his stupor. When he looked like he'd gotten back to earth, I tugged at his sleeve.

"Um...Red?" Gawd dang it! I hated asking for money! Just _hated_ it! "Could I…borrowsomeofyourmoneyplease? I'll repay you, I promise!"

The boy looked at me, my clasped hands, my puppy eyes, and nodded. Though I was sure that it had less to do with the puppy eyes and more to do with Red's natural generosity. Plus, I had a strange feeling like I'd just been analyzed for untrustworthiness…and apparently passed.

The boy reached into a vest pocket and pulled out a wallet. Flipping it open, he upturned it over an open hand, catching the money easily.

Wow. The money here was…interesting.

The first things I noticed were the coins. One was silver in color, with a hole in the middle and the number fifty on it. Then there were three slightly bigger, copper-colored coins, no holes at all, each engraved with the number ten.

Underneath were three blue banknotes, each worth a thousand with a picture of a Poké Ball on them. After his nod, I took a note and flipped it over to inspect the other side. A mountain, a lake, and cherry blossoms. What?

I gave the money back (I figured he could just pay when we got to the store), receiving a weird look. I looked back.

Wait a minute…

Oh crap! I was acting like I'd never seen money before! How much more suspicious could I _get_?

"Eheh…" I chuckled nervously, "I, um, just wanted to make sure they were real. Never know when those counterfeiters are gonna getcha," I elbowed him in the ribs before running away, "Let's go! Don't want the store to close on us! Heheh…"

I rushed into the Pokémon Mart, cursing silently to myself. Why, oh, why couldn't I control myself? I just had to act even _more_ suspicious! Red would be an idiot if he hadn't already noticed there was something hugely wrong with me.

Okay, let's go over the reasons Red has to just ditch me.

One. I came out of nowhere. Anybody would be suspicious.

Two. I started babbling about movies, scheduling, and kidnapping. If I were Red, I'd have gotten the heck out of there by then.

Three. I blabbered fatalistically on about having no choice but to become a trainer. Also, I didn't like battling, and Red did. Cause for dislike right there.

Four. Professor Oak had _not so subtly_ hinted at my _extraordinary_ situation.

Five. I acted like I'd never seen the national currency before. (Well, was it an international currency, since it worked in Johto too? But Kanto and Johto were _regions_, not countries. And since the Pokédex had mentioned China and South America, I was pretty sure that Japan existed here as well. And Kanto and Johto most likely were in Japan. So, national currency. And here I was, in Japan, speaking English. What the fudge?)

Okay, what were the reasons to _not_ abandon me then?

One. I _was_ _actually_ a trustworthy person, so maybe Red could sense that.

Two. I cared for the well-being of my Pokémon, which gave me brownie points with him.

Three. Green and I did _not_ get along. Well, maybe that had nothing to do with trustworthiness, but whatever. Would "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" work here?

Four. Traveling with another person could make the journey easier. Though I had the feeling Red was the type that liked a challenge, if training on Mt. Silver was any indication. So scratch that.

Four revised. Professor Oak trusted me. Well, actually, Oak's trust might go a long way with those boys, being one of the few figures of authority they knew, and from what I heard, Oak treated Red like he did his own grandchildren, if not better.

Maybe Red wouldn't ditch me after all.

I'd just finished thinking that when both the shopkeeper spoke up and the glass door behind me slid open (The Pokémon Center had a door like that too, both motion-detecting).

"Do you need anything?"

I moved out of the way automatically, "Ah, right now I'm just waiting for—oh hey Red!"

The boy nodded at me, and then approached the nearest shelf to browse. I did the same, trying to pretend the previous situation had never happened. I don't know how well I did, but Red didn't comment. I wasn't sure how to take his complete dismissal of earlier, but decided not to look a gift horse (or Ponyta, here) in the mouth and stopped to admire the Mart's interior.

It was very…_blue_. I was sensing a theme here with these official buildings. Make each the same color. Centers were red and beige, and Marts were blue and yellow.

The floor was blue, the walls were yellow with blue striping, the counters were blue, and the shelves were blue-and-white.

At least I liked the color blue.

A girl in pigtails was browsing through Antidotes, while a capped boy with shorts was looking through Potions. I saw Red pick out a sleeping bag and trail rations, and decided to walk over to him.

"Do you think we'll need all this stuff?" I asked.

He shrugged, but I could see the faint hint of worry in his eyes. So just in case then.

"Makes sense," I replied. "I never thought of it that much, but there's only so much room in the Pokémon Centers for us trainers, right?"

A nod. Man, it kind of sucked that he couldn't speak. I had been so used to talking with people that _talked back_. Oh well. The pains of traveling with a mute. Though in a way, it was kind of nice, as opposed to my deaf mother, who always yelled when she spoke.

Since I was sure Pokémon weren't allowed in the Pokémon Marts, I didn't release any, but I did have them on my mind when I shopped.

I picked out a sleeping bag for myself and more trail rations, universal Pokémon food, and some specialized ones (there were cans specifically for rodents, for birds, and for bugs. I was surprised not to see any starter Pokémon specialties, but figured it was because most trainers didn't start out with those Pokémon. I mean, we _were_ on a special mission for Oak, so we had the privilege of obtaining a rare starter Pokémon. I think most people had to catch their own).

Of course, Red pointed out in his silent way that I'd need something to carry all the crap in. Which was the whole reason I came here in the first place. Facepalm time.

I wandered over to the equipment aisle, but raised my eyebrow at what I saw.

"So…they don't have any backpacks here, just satchels…" I sighed. "Great, my shoulders will be killing me. Well, they'd already be in pain with a backpack, but here it's just greater pressure on one shoulder…I'll have to switch off a lot." I looked at the selection again, and groaned. "And do they have anything besides yellow, orange, or black?"

The clerk, who could hear my moans and groans (it was a pretty small building), spoke up, "I'm sorry, miss, but we don't have anything else. We're due to get a new shipping of reds and greens in a week, though."

"A week? That's too long," I sighed. "I need one now…" I turned to look at the bags again. "I'll take the yellow one…"

I tromped up to the counter, where Red waited patiently for me.

"Will that be all, then?"

I thought for a second. Since I was going to pay Red back anyway…

"Do you have hats?"

We left the place, me wearing a brand-new white bowler with a red Poké Ball design. I'd decided to imitate Leaf for fun. Man, I was cosplaying now! My first cosplay! Granted, it took me going to the world the outfit originated in to do so, but I was still cosplaying! I could now call myself an official Pokémon nerd.

We'd bought a lot, but that was no surprise. The travel gear was surprisingly cheap, but being in a world lead by trainers, it made sense that stuff like that would be affordable, especially with all the young kids running around. So I bought a satchel, the sleeping bags, protective outfits (not only did they have rain and cold gear, but they also had rubber gloves for electric handlers—which I convinced Red to buy, heat-resistant clothing, and more), water bottles, toiletries, fire starter kit, and travel rations. It all actually came in as a packaged deal, which was nice. I made sure to buy pajamas and a change of clothes as well. Altogether it cost a meager one thousand Pokémon Dollars.

The food, which was supposed to last two teams of six for a week, plus the specialty food, cost five hundred. Also, I chose a guide to general Pokémon (with examples of the more well-known ones) care and training (I'd flipped through it, and it went so much more in-depth than the information available in my world) plus a guide to the various locales we'd be visiting, and a detailed book on battling (picked out by Red), which combined cost four hundred Poké Dollars (a bit pricey, but well worth the money). The hat cost one hundred (I could have given it up, but I was loathe to as it completed my outfit, and Red understood, being a fan of headwear himself).

So after that, we still had a thousand and eighty Poké Dollars for recovery items and Poké Balls.

Catching Pokémon was all well and good, but in this world, where accidents were more likely to happen than in the games, recovery items took precedence. Therefore, most of the remaining thousand and eighty dollars (well, actually the currency in the original Japanese games was based off yen, so Pokémon yen was technically more accurate, though here they called the money Pokémon Dollars—it was confusing though, since the coins counted as Pokémon Dollars too) were used on recovery items, of which they had a limited selection. With two Potions, an Antidote, and a Parlyz Heal, the total came to nine hundred dollars.

"I'm sorry, Red," I apologized. "I will definitely pay you back."

The boy nodded, while I resolved to be extra careful in training my Pokémon. Those Potions would be precious, and definitely should be saved for Red, who would need them more than me.

However, I had a little conundrum now. To pay Red back, I would need money. And to get money, I would need to battle.

Well, shit.

* * *

**Thank you to kenegi, awesomeness127, Pinkypink342, and Anon(ymous) for reviewing! :D**


	9. Decisions and Viridian

Chapter 9: Decisions and Viridian

Okay, decision-making time.

Option one: Never pay Red back, ever, or wait until I get a Pokémon that knows Pickup and then sell off the stuff it finds.

Option two: Battle my Pokémon against a few trainers, just enough to get the money to pay Red back.

So…what were the positives and negatives of each?

The first choice: the positives were that I would not have to sacrifice my morals on battling. The negatives however were that I would have to when it came to paying somebody back. Every time I had a debt, I would always make sure to have the money to pay the person back as soon as I could, which was usually the next day or so, since usually I'd just ask for money because I'd forgotten to bring it with me. Also who knows how long it'd take to get a Pokémon that knew Pickup. I'd forgotten all the Pokémon in Kanto that had that ability. Heck, the only Pokémon I remembered having that ability at _all_ was Zigzagoon, and I obviously would not be able to find one of those right away.

The second choice: the positives were that I'd be able to pay Red back relatively sooner. I wouldn't have to wait till I found a Pokémon that knew Pickup. The negatives…were that I'd have to make them battle. And I didn't want to have to do that.

Either way, I'd be compromising my morals.

So…what to do?

Which was the lesser of two evils?

In one way, I'd still be paying Red back if I went with option one, it'd just be later. A _lot_ later. And we kind of needed the money like…now. In the future, if I stuck to my guns on no-battling, Red would probably have to pay for me a lot. I'd still need to feed my Pokémon and stuff, and if I went with option one, then it looked like I'd have to rely on him to be the moneymaker, and I would pretty much be a moocher.

And I did _not_ want to be a moocher.

I sighed. It looked like I'd have to adjust to this world a lot sooner than I'd hoped.

Well, might as well start off slow. Maybe I could test-battle against Red (who would most likely cream me every time, being who he is), or my Pokémon against each other.

Yeah. Maybe my Pokémon against each other first.

Speaking of them…

I dug the Poké Balls out of my pocket, clicking the button that would enlarge them. Clicking the button on the ball would make it bigger if it was small, and smaller if it was large. However, from what I remembered, throwing the ball would be the way it opened (though how that worked I had no idea), plus I think I could hit the button to open it too. I'd have to ask Red for more clarification on that.

"Go, everyone!" I shouted while throwing (completely unnecessary, but hey, nothing wrong with hamming things up). I didn't yet know how I'd be able to tell the different Poké Balls apart. Maybe I should've bought those Poké Ball stickers I saw.

There was Mock, my gentle Squirtle. There was Colby, my lonely Rattata. And then there was Granola, my sassy Pidgey.

"Squirt!" Mock cried, and ran for me. Smiling, I leaned down to pet his head.

Colby immediately scampered behind Mock, looking up at me. I reached down to let him sniff me, and get used to my scent. Granola shoved the rat out of the way, chirping up at me. Chuckling, I petted her too.

"I'm going to let you guys out so you can walk around. We're going to be exploring the town, right Red?"

Said boy shook his head but gave a small smile. He seemed to be in a better mood when there were Pokémon around.

"So let's go! It's almost evening, so we should hurry!"

One thing about playing the games versus _being_ in the games. With time passing, one had to plan ahead if one wanted to make time to train. I think it was silently agreed upon that we wouldn't get much training done today.

Viridian City was nice. The concrete paths were a bit bumpy at times, but otherwise perfectly easy to walk on. There really wasn't much to explore, as we'd already been in two out of five buildings, but whatever.

"Why haven't you released _your_ Pokémon?" I asked Red, confused. I wasn't trying to be annoying or anything, but I did wonder. I mean, Red _loved_ Pokémon. I could tell. So why put them in balls when he so obviously enjoyed being around them?

He shrugged, and took out _only one_ Poké Ball, which opened to reveal his Bulbasaur.

"Saur!" it (though I think it was a he) cried.

I wrinkled my brow. "Why haven't you released the others?" Again, not trying to be annoying, but you had to wonder.

Red smiled, before writing on his pad: _I deposited them into my box._

"Oh, okay," I nodded. I didn't really think he'd use them anyway, but it was good to know, I guess.

Mock ran over to the Bulbasaur. Obviously they'd gotten along while being raised in the lab together, since they immediately started to chatter away in Pokémon-ese.

We all walked together, our starters drawing a few stares. One guy stopped to compliment us, subsequently warning us about Weedle's sting.

Granola liked to flap ahead, as if she was on point, flying back every so often to circle our heads, occasionally swooping down to startle us all, but most especially Colby. Said rat would squeak in fear each time, and sadly, stayed away from all of us.

"Granola, don't pick on Colby," I sighed.

The bird ignored me to swoop down on the rat again. I could tell the poor thing was frightened out of his wits.

"Granola!" I scolded. "Do that one more time and you're going back in your ball!"

The Pidgey flirted her tail at me, choosing to ignore me _again_ in favor of picking on the Rattata.

I groaned. Great. I would have to train this bird in obedience.

I didn't know much about training, but I did know a few key rules. One: be firm. Two: be in control. And three: be consistent. If I warned that bird, and she didn't listen to me; it was her own fault for being confined in the ball now.

"I warned you…" I reached in to take out her ball…and then realized. I had no clue which one was hers!

Oh my gawd…this was so effing embarrassing…

Red, who had started to walk ahead, paused and looked back, tilting his head at me.

"I can't tell which ball is which…" I explained, trying to keep from rubbing my temples in exasperation. For one thing, my hands were full. Actually, that was a good enough reason; I didn't need any others.

Red walked over, glancing at the balls, smiled, and picked one up.

I stared. "I-is that the one?"

A nod.

Okay. This was too unbelievable. "How do you _know_?"

A shrug.

_What_? That was _not_ a good enough reason! I needed to know the secret!

Glowering, I snatched the ball from his hand, and aimed it at my Pidgey. A beam of red light shot out, but the stupid bird would evade it each time!

Muttering dire threats about "roasting" under my breath, I decided to myself that it _would_ be my luck to get a disobedient Pokémon like Ash's Pikachu for one of my first catches, when I was still inexperienced.

"I thought your nature was sassy, not naughty," I grumbled.

A shrill, high-pitched whistle pierced the air. The bird stopped mid-flap, startled. I, personally, was beside myself with fear. I tend to be extremely easy to scare, which is not that fun when others know about it.

Looking to see where the sound came from, I saw Red taking his fingers from his mouth. Showoff. Just because you can whistle…whatever.

Wait, wasn't he mute? But then, couldn't mutes laugh and cough and stuff? I didn't know much about them. I guess I'd have to research that condition.

By now, Granola's flight had staggered, so I took the opportunity to return her to her ball, sighing in relief while I did so.

This whole "training" thing would take longer than I thought.

Eventually we walked up to a building with sweet-scenting orange-and-blue flowers. Stopping next to it, I smiled. I didn't remember for sure, but I thought that this might be the Pokémon Academy. Peering into the window, I nodded. There seemed to be somebody teaching in there.

"Is this a school then?" I asked Red.

He nodded.

"Did you ever go here?" I'd never thought about it before, but it would make sense, right?

Another nod.

How strange, the way this world worked. It never mentioned this in the games, but it would make sense. I mean, for Red and Green to be totally confined to Pallet Town when there was a city not too far away was ridiculous. I wonder if they accompanied Professor Oak, who of course would have Pokémon to defend them.

We walked in, and the teacher, a brunette in an orange dress, perked up, "Ah, Red! Coming to brush up on your status effects?"

The boy shook his head.

"Yes, I know," she teased, "You were one of my best students, always trying your hardest. So, who's your friend?" she asked.

"My name's Catch Hall ma'am," I smiled breezily, knowing _Red_ wouldn't be able to tell her. At least not out loud, but I didn't want him to have to take out his notebook. It was a bit inconsiderate of the teacher to try and make _him_ introduce me, but whatever.

Wait a second, were Red and I _friends_? Oh well, too late to correct her now.

"That's a nice name," she smiled, and held out a hand. "My name's Miss Board."

I shook it. "So do you run this place, Miss Board?"

"Yes, it's a bit difficult, but I do have Mr. Dull to help out. He sometimes demonstrates how to catch a Pokémon to the kids."

Oh, really?" I asked, wondering if this _Mr. Dull_ was the same old man that would lie in the middle of the road until you delivered Oak's parcel.

"Yes, he's a great help. Well, I only have one student currently. It's pretty nice, since I get more one-on-one time with them. Speaking of students, this one here is Barra Ette. Barra, this is Red and Catch."

"Hello, Barra," I smiled.

Barra Ette, who happened to be wearing a barrette, looked up at us in awe. "Wow, so you guys have Pokémon?"

"Oh, yeah," I spoke, suddenly a little embarrassed. "I hope it's not troubling you, Miss Board."

"Not at all, it's a wonderful experience for my students to meet trainers. Did you just set off then?"

Red and I nodded.

We stayed to chitchat a little bit. It was obvious that Miss Board was immensely fond of Red, and who wouldn't be? He was quiet, and seemed well-behaved enough, if not a bit too serious for his own good. It was also obvious that the place was a little run-down. It seemed, despite Miss Board's cheerful words about preferring one student, having only one student also meant low funding. I wondered if that's why the place would eventually close down. I felt bad, but there was really nothing I could do to help.

We left after a while, and were soon accosted by an old man, who was probably Mr. Dull.

"Well, now, I've had my coffee, and that's what I need to get going!" he was muttering to himself, "Hm? Pokémon? So you already know how to catch Pokémon then? Well, you can take this anyway!"

_Obtained the Teachy TV!_

Those words appeared in a gray window in front of my face. A window that looked suspiciously like the ones from the games. I waved it away (causing it to disappear for some reason), drawing a few weird looks from the others.

"What?" I asked. "Did you not _see_ that?"

They both shook their heads, and I sighed. Maybe I was just going insane. "Never mind then…"

Continuing onward, I followed Red right into the next house, where he seemed to know the bald man there. The pink-haired daughter ran up to our Pokémon and started to play with them. I kept an eye on them while the man advised on us nicknames. But "Speary" really wasn't that creative a nickname for a Spearow, was it? I guess it was easy to remember, though.

Roving my eye around the house, which for some reason had only one room and no bed, I commented, "So…why is there a sign that says what your Pokémon's nickname is?"

"Daddy forgets a lot of things sometimes!" the girl, who'd been quiet up to now, chirped. "I have to remind him a lot, but we decided to hang a sign with his Pokémon's nickname on it, so he'd remember! Otherwise it ignores us."

"I…see," I said. I noticed said "Daddy" looked pretty embarrassed. Eh, forgetfulness is a fact of life. I myself forget probably at least half the things I learn, if not more.

When we left their house, I hopped up to the Gym, peering into the dark windows, but I could detect nothing. "I bet it has a freaky mafia leader inside!" I stage-whispered to Red.

He shook his head, smiling, but the door was locked. Too bad. I really wanted to see the inside. Eh, we probably would've been creamed anyway if the Gym Leader were there.

Afterwards, I convinced Red to walk behind a weird two-branched sapling, where a Poké Ball lay on the ground.

"Sweet! Free Poké Ball _and_ an item!" I crowed.

Picking the ball up, I opened it to find a Potion inside. Giving it to Red, I was about to put my new Poké Ball into my satchel when he shook his head.

"What's wrong?"

Sighing, he started writing. _That Poké Ball is unusable._

"Huh? Why is that?"

_It's broken; check the button._

Darn. He was right. Well, that sucked.

"So why _are_ there a bunch of random Poké Balls filled with items anyway?"

_There are?_

Oh yeah. He hadn't come across them yet.

"Never mind…" I sighed.

We walked leisurely down to where Route 22 was. I was busy enjoying the sights and sounds of this place. Being outdoors was nice, but being outdoors in the Pokémon world, where fresh air wasn't a luxury, was _amazing_.

"So…do you want to start training? That patch of tall grass over there might be nice."

A nod and a smile.

I started to feel nervous now. And who wouldn't be? Granted, Red wasn't Pokémon Master material yet, but his growth in the games was unnaturally fast. "Okay, then let's go!"

As we entered the tall grass, I couldn't help but think on my luck. All I had to work with was a gentle turtle that would probably prefer peace over battling (like his owner), an antisocial rodent, and a mischievous bird. How was I going to keep this team together?

I wasn't looking forward to our training session.

* * *

**Thank you to SmileRen, Imagination12, TammyHybrid21, kenegi, and Fallen Vanguard for reviewing! :D**

The decision made in this chapter was difficult for me to make, plot-wise and character-wise. Catch is a very moralistic person (kinda like me, for better or worse :P) and either way, she's compromising her morals. Eventually, in light of the future, she decides to participate in battles. Catch has figured out that if she doesn't battle herself, she'll have to completely rely on Red for support, and being who she is, that's not an option.

It's tough being in a world where it's almost impossible for kids to make a living as anything but trainers.

Imaginative OC names, no? I thought of blackboard when I thought of a teacher, and I thought of bored, and then dull for Mr. Dull, who is...pretty dull. XD And I'm pretty sure you can figure out the oh-so-hidden meaning behind Barra Ette's name. -_-;

And there's a theme to how I name my Pokémon. Can you guess it? It won't be hard. :P

Also, I've decided to use a random number generator to determine a Pokémon's gender, nature, and level (within the parameters of the game, of course). Because I'm far too lazy to fill in the blanks myself. Surprisingly, Catch's catches were all higher level than Red's. And yes, so far, she's planning on keeping these Pokémon. But who knows what'll happen in the future.


	10. Teamwork and Training

Chapter 10: Teamwork and Training

"So, how do you know which Poké Ball is which?" I questioned Red.

We hadn't started training yet, having just entered the tall grass. The sun was lowering in the sky, causing said sky to deepen its blue color, becoming more violet in hue. It was a cloudless day, and with the lack of artificial lighting, I could already see the pale curvature of the moon. We were kind of hemmed in, what with a rocky outcrop to our left, and a line of trees to our right, so perfectly aligned that it was as if we were in the good ole mother country, where the trees and hedges were arranged as straight as arrows, and the roads were narrower than all get out.

Teasing aside, this place really _was_ a bit strange, even stranger than England had been. Oh well. Those were the "perks" of living in the video-game world.

I was interrupted from my musing when the red-capped boy shrugged and took out his notebook. It must be kind of inconvenient to have to bring that out all the time. I resolved to have Red teach me sign language to make it easier on him.

_I could tell that Poké Ball was your Pidgey's because I recognized the scrape on the side where her beak scratched it. Also, you can ask your Pokémon: maybe they know._

No. Way. I was traveling with another Sherlock Holmes. Soon he'd be informing me that he could tell I was from another world from the way I reacted toward their currency. Wait a minute…

"Well, since I'm not as observant as you, I think I'll stick with labeling the balls," I said. "Do you have a marker?"

Turns out, he did. Well, aren't _we_ prepared…overachiever.

My internal grumblings aside, I decided to be original and draw a soup tureen and a shell on Mock's ball (after having the turtle point it out) a slice of cheese with a fang on Colby's (after Mock pointed his out, I just concluded that Colby's was the ball that didn't have the scrape on it), and a granola bar and a wing on Granola's. It was a bit awkward drawing on a curved surface. Hopefully the markings wouldn't rub off (I was definitely buying those Poké Ball stickers from the Mart as soon as we got more money).

"Okay, how much training time do you think we'll have?" I asked Red.

He shrugged. _Well, the Pokémon Center wasn't too full today, so we might be able to get a room or two tonight. Still, I want to get as much training in as possible._

"Yeah, makes sense," I sighed. "Sorry for holding you back, but it was nice of you to show me around Viridian."

A shrug. His expression said it all: _No matter the obstacles, I'll still work my hardest to overcome them._

Geez, he really _was_ like some shōnen manga hero. Though he was less obnoxious than Ash, and quieter than manga Red. For one thing, he couldn't _talk_.

Yes, definitely would have to get Red to teach me sign language. That, or buy a book on it. Though how common such books might be was up in the air. It's a wonder that Professor Oak never gave me any special instructions. I'd be traveling with a mute boy, after all. Then again, from what I'd seen, he had no trouble getting his point across. He made good use of body language. Maybe that's where he learned to be so observant, too.

"Well, let's start training then!" I said, shaking my head to clear it. I was getting a bit bossy, wasn't I? Had to cut _that_ at the quick, or it'd get annoying fast.

It didn't matter now, really. Red had already started, so I was busy talking to thin air.

I watched his Bulbasaur shoot a Leech Seed onto a Mankey, and then Tackle it to make it faint. Sheesh, that little frogasaur was a powerhouse!

"Well, don't want to get left behind," I muttered. Deciding to have all three Pokémon out for convenience's sake, I jumped as a trio of Rattata leapt from the tall grass (which went up to our chests—gawd it was a pain being so short again) to surround Mock.

"Crap. Guys, go full out on them!"

Turns out, Pokémon? Yeah, they don't always need you to give them orders. Although Mock seemed to quiver a little at first, Granola came through for me, flying into the Rattata and scattering them. Colby whipped them with his tail to distract them, while I picked Mock up and examined him for injuries. Just a little scared, but otherwise unhurt.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Good.

"I didn't expect that," I laughed, scratching my head while Granola sent the lot packing, my Pokédex informing me that she learned Sand-Attack. "I thought we were just going to train amongst ourselves at first. You know, lift boulders and stuff."

"Squirt…"

"Hey, it's okay. Guys," I barked, voice rising so they could hear me. "Good job out there! Granola, you came in great for me! Sassy you may be, but you were there when we were in a pinch. Colby, way to help out the team! And Mock, no worries. You were just surprised, that's all." I smiled at the three of them. Despite my earlier concerns, they seemed like good, plucky teammates to have.

"I want to tell you guys something, though. I've decided to battle so as not to rely totally on Red. However, this decision is not mine alone to make. If you'd rather not battle, tell me, and you don't have to. You can be boxed and live a peaceful life, or heck, I can even release you if that's what you desire. But I want you all to know that I didn't make the choice to battle lightly, and you should think it over as well. This is a long, hard journey we'll be undertaking."

Mock was the first to respond, to my surprise. Smiling, he set a blue hand down on my arm (I was still holding him). "Squirtle Squirt."

Granola flew right up to perch on my shoulder, peeping (rather loudly) into my ear before lifting off and making aerobatic swoops in the air interspersed with fake air fighting. She was a battler, born and raised.

Colby looked a bit nervous, but he shook his head and stood up on his hind legs. Puffing out his chest, he nodded sharply at me. "Rattata!"

Wow. This…was a bit overwhelming.

"You guys…" I began, eyes starting to water. "I see now. You're sticking with me, then?"

Nods all around.

"Okay… I'll do my best to fulfill your trust in me!"

Turning my head away to hide my tears, my eyes met Red's, who smiled at me and nodded.

It still hadn't fully hit me until just now. The task I'd be undertaking, the hard work it'd involve, the possibility that I'd never see home again. It was enough to make me want to sink to my knees and cry my eyes out. But…the support of everybody around me kept me on my feet. I knew that I'd have need of them in the days to come. This wasn't a dream. I'd have to fully adapt to this world and stay on top; otherwise I'd be eaten alive, maybe even literally. It helped to have Red by my side, but I also knew that being his traveling companion would have its own dangers. Hopefully I'd be able to stick through and find my way back home. Still, now, this journey was looking a little brighter, a little more hopeful.

And hopefully I'd survive it.

I was interrupted from my thoughts when another Rattata sprang at me.

"Geez, these things are everywhere! No offense, Colby." Red was dealing with one himself, but his Bulbasaur looked like it had things well in hand…or foot.

"Okay, Colby, time to fight! Tackle!" I shouted, struggling to pry the rat off me. It seemed to smell the food in my bag.

"Rattata!" my own rat cried and sprang at the enemy Rattata. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all…I mean, with the Rattata being _on_ me and all. Oh well, too late now.

Fortunately that Tackle was enough to knock the Rattata off. Said Rattata lunged at mine, who was knocked back.

"Hang in there," I yelled, and then gritted my teeth. Seeing battles again… I'd have to tough this out.

My eyes were drawn to my other Pokémon, both facing off against Rattata.

"Geez, there's a lot of them," I growled. Now I knew why trainers only released one Pokémon at a time. Fortunately, Granola seemed to be able to handle herself well. Mock was the only one that seemed a little lost. Well, it made sense, since he was raised in a lab. And didn't _that_ sound strange? Well, I guess it _would've_ been if he were human.

"Mock," I ordered, deciding to concentrate on him for now. "Tackle!"

"Squirt!" he nodded, and ran to the rat, knocking him out with one blow.

"Good job, Mock!" I praised, before checking on my other Pokémon. Colby and Granola had both finished their opponents, and looked a little worn out.

"Okay, take five," I said, before cursing. "I mean: you guys can rest for a few minutes."

They nodded at me, before leaving the terror of the tall grass. I took the opportunity to depart myself, and glanced back.

Wow. Red and his Bulbasaur were…less good than I thought they'd be.

Sure, they both seemed to have that little instinctive mind-link going on, but I'd expected them to be…well, poetry in motion or something. I cursed to myself. _Of course. They've just started out._ _What were you expecting, Catch? For them to already be the fluid team you encountered on Mt. Silver?_

Still, they were trying. That Bulbasaur already had a serious nature, and with his serious trainer, they'd both overwork themselves if somebody didn't stop them. But for now, they seemed to have plenty of energy. Red's Bulbasaur (who hadn't been nicknamed, far as I knew. Maybe I should just call him Bulbasaur?) took a Scratch from a Mankey pretty well, before crashing into the pig monkey and sending it flying.

"We can't let them show us up," I commented to my Pokémon after a while of watching. "Want to come back in there?"

Nods. Even Granola, who so far had seemed to be a bit of a diva, agreed. The light of competition shone in her eyes. Maybe Red and his Bulbasaur would be good for her. Keep her from becoming overconfident.

A Mankey appeared before us as well, and I smiled. This would be the perfect opportunity to capture one to help complete my Pokédex. "Granola, it's your turn."

"Pidgey!" she chirped, before swooping down at the Mankey without warning. I sighed. There were drawbacks to having such independent Pokémon. If I were going for a specific strategy, I'd have to have her learn to obey _my_ orders as well.

"Mankey!" the other cried, before Scratching the incoming Pidgey. Screeching in pain, Granola's divebomb was disrupted.

Well, might as well take advantage of having multiple Pokémon out. "Colby, Tackle!"

"Ratta-ta!" the Mankey lay down, stunned for a second.

"Pidgey!" Granola screeched, and flew for Colby.

"Granola, what are you doing?" I cried, dismayed.

Ignoring me, the bird continued to harass the rat.

Figuring out what went wrong, I snapped, "You're going to have to deal with teamwork, Granola. You're not the only Pokémon on this team!"

"Pidge!" she huffed.

"I mean it! Colby was just trying to help you out, plus,_ I_ was the one that ordered him to!"

"Gey!" suddenly a cream-and-brown blur swooped at me. Out of nowhere, a dark green vine snapped around the blur, revealing said blur to be Granola.

"Red!"

He stood there, gazing at me with a bit of…was it criticism?

"Thanks," I sighed, "And congratulations on your Bulbasaur learning Vine Whip."

A brief nod, then a sigh. Then the notebook again. _Do you need any help with your Pidgey?_

"Eh? No, no, thanks anyway, but no thanks. I feel it'd be better if _I_ was the one teaching her to behave, or she'll never respect me."

Another nod, and the vines retracted.

By now, however, Granola had calmed down, though she still glared at me.

"Hey, you're going to have to learn to share the limelight," I said. "We're all a team here, and there's no 'I' in team, ya know." Gawd, did I sound like a sports coach or what?

"Mankey!"

"Oh, crapsicle!" I'd forgotten about the Mankey.

It didn't look as mad as I expected (thank goodness for small favors). Still, it was shifting to attack.

"Pidgey!" Granola dived on top of the Mankey, and I watched those two tussle in the grass before Granola flew up, panting for breath. I took the opportunity that was presented to me.

"Poké Ball, go!" I shouted, imitating Ash as I threw a ball at the winded Mankey. _Pleaseworkpleasework!_

The ball hit the pig monkey, and I watched the button flash red to mean it was caught before picking the Poké Ball up.

"Well, looks like we've got another prospective teammate, guys," I turned to grin at my Pokémon.

They grinned back, with the exception of Granola, who was still pouting. Drama queen.

"So, you're Mild nature?" I raised my brow at the information the Dex provided. That was contradictory to what the entry said: that Mankey were quick to anger. Trust me to catch the _anomaly_.

"I think I'll name you Olive, for Olive Baboon," I chuckled to myself. Wow. I was getting just a _tad_ nerdy here.

With the help of Olive, who was just as pleasant as Mock (though she didn't seem to get along too well with Granola—not that anybody did) our training went pretty well. It took a while, but a Spearow finally showed up, which Red captured. I resolved to trade data with him some time. Between the two of us, hopefully completing the Pokédex wouldn't be as hard.

We also went back and forth between the Pokémon Center and Route 22 a lot. I worried about exhaustion setting in, though. Still, everybody seemed to have a high endurance level except for me. It helped that I was eleven again, but I'd definitely have to get into shape more. Unlike what I'd previously assumed, I did a lot more work than I thought I would. Running in and blocking a particularly vicious move, or chasing after an errant Pokémon alongside my teammates…training was definitely no walk in the park.

By nightfall my Pokédex listed the levels of my Pokémon as thus: Mock was level ten, Colby and Granola were level eight, and Olive was level seven. Mock had learned Bubble and Withdraw, both helpful moves since he got tired of using Tackle all the time. Plus, Withdraw helped to block attacks (though how he had to _learn_ to retract into his shell was a mystery to me). Other than him, the only other Pokémon that gained a new move was Colby, who learned Quick Attack. And after getting that, he _quickly_ became a powerhouse on my team, running rings around his opponents.

It was kind of frustrating though, seeing how both Colby and Granola weren't very cooperative with other Pokémon in battle. Whenever they needed help, both Pokémon stubbornly insisted on getting out of their ruts by themselves. Mock and Olive had soon learned to tag-team, taking down more Pokémon more efficiently that way.

And whenever I looked over to see Red, I would jolt in surprise whenever I saw him being anything less than…well, perfect. He was an instinctive battler, that much was apparent. Still, even from my amateur viewpoint, I could tell he had a long way to go.

His stance, unlike the confident one from the Johto games, would be leaning forward, and sometimes I could see flashes of desperation in his eyes when they roved over his Bulbasaur. The Pokémon seemed to especially struggle against Spearow, which made sense. The boy would frequently do a mad dash back to the Center, where he boxed his own Spearow as well.

"Do you ever plan on training a Pokémon besides Bulbasaur?" I'd asked him once. I knew he'd go on to train more, but I was curious as to his game-plan.

_I'm waiting…_ he wrote.

"Waiting?"

_For the right Pokémon… You see…being mute, I cannot communicate as well as I'd like. That's why I'm waiting for the right Pokémon…the one that will understand me as easily as Bulbasaur here._ At this moment, he patted the Pokémon's head, smiling.

"I see," I smiled myself. And I did, really I did. It was a little like searching for a life partner, or a best friend. You waited for the person you just "clicked" with. The person you felt like you'd known forever. I could tell already that he and Bulbasaur (since that was his name, that's what I'd call him) would become friends for life.

_Let's quit for tonight,_ Red wrote, finally, jolting me from my reminiscing. I'd decided to wait for _him_ to call quits, though it'd taken longer than I thought it would.

"What level is Bulbasaur?" I questioned. I mean, unlike me, who'd spread my training out between four different Pokémon, he'd been concentrating solely on one.

He spread both hands out, showing ten fingers, and then held up one hand, spread out.

"Fifteen?"

A nod.

"My gawd…"

He'd definitely be ready for Brock's Gym, then.

We walked back leisurely, our Pokémon returned to their balls (being exhausted—poor things). Drawn by the light, I gazed upwards at the vast expanse of stars and the crescent moon. It was…_nice_. With very little outdoor lighting, I could see the natural lights in all their glory. The air was sweet, and night here was surprisingly quiet in comparison to the day. Then again most of the Pokémon around here were probably diurnal except for the Rattata.

"Hey, Red?" I asked. We'd just entered Viridian.

He glanced at me.

"Could you…I dunno, teach me sign language?" I'd always meant to learn, as it'd be useful with a deaf mother, but now I had the opportunity to learn from somebody who _knew_ it, and not a book.

A nod and a smile. Wow. That must be a record for him! I could tell when he was pretty happy because he smiled. A smile for him was a bounce of glee for me, at least those were my thoughts.

"Great!" I beamed. "So what are we doing tomorrow, then?"

A shrug. _We might try and go through the forest tomorrow._

"Okay," I replied, resolving to learn sign language as soon as possible. Squinting at words in the dark was not very healthy for my eyes, younger though they may be. Too bad none of us had a fire type to help us see. Only Green had that honor so far. Speaking of Green…

"Well, first… Let's try exploring further in Route 22! Who knows, we might find something…"

Red nodded, and we entered the Pokémon Center together, healing our Pokémon before checking out a room (which we probably should've done earlier: the Nurse Joy was a bit annoyed with us). I was surprised they had any rooms at all, because they hadn't in the games. But…well, the game people were inhuman. Or at least the player character was. Never needing to eat or sleep. And it wasn't that _all_ the game inhabitants were like that either. Many trainers I'd battled had spoken of being hungry, or tired. Heck, the player character's house had a bed and a kitchen! And the first Gym in Unova was entirely dedicated to food! Plus the café in Nacrene, the RageCandyBars, Moomoo Milk, Lava Cookies…need I go on? It was only for convenience's sake that the player character never had to eat or sleep in the game. That or the person was an alien robot. I personally believed the latter.

We went upstairs, where the Cable Club and Wireless Club people usually were. There _was_ a huge room dedicated for trainers to trade and battle with each other, but luckily said room closed with the advent of nightfall, so the lodgers didn't have to listen to the noise while they attempted to sleep.

Red and I had separate rooms, of course. I smiled when I entered mine. With the same red-and-yellow theme as the rest of the center, I couldn't help but be cheered even more. I was exhausted, but today had been one of the most fulfilling (if not crazy) days I'd had in my life.

I'd bought a pair of pajamas in the Mart, and slipped into them now, thinking all the while. Since this place had personal showers, tomorrow I'd take a shower, find some breakfast somewhere (with all the excitement I'd forgotten I was hungry—the same probably with Red) to feed my starving stomach, and then… Well, then we'd head off further into Route 22. If this world was just like the games, I knew what awaited us there. I just hoped Red was ready, having only one Pokémon…

_Oh well, I shouldn't worry too much_, I thought, drifting off. It was a lot easier to fall asleep, too, I noticed. Must be all the work we did today.

I smiled at the Pokémon draped around me. Mock was in a filled bathtub, Colby was curled up on the floor in a corner, Granola was perched on a chair, and Olive was sleeping under the covers with me.

I was finally getting used to having them around, though sometimes I'd look at them and think how they were just wrong, _unnatural_ creatures. Because they were. At least in my world, anyway.

Still, I felt…happy. Unnatural creatures they may be, but they were _good_ unnatural creatures. I could save my cares and worries for the morrow. No thinking about whether I'd ever get home, whether my parents and friends were worried about me, whether I'd come back at the exact same time I arrived… These things I could deal with later.

It was a good thing I was so exhausted, otherwise I'd have stayed up all night worrying.

I wondered if Red was worrying as well, but I reminded _myself_ to worry later.

I fell asleep surrounded by the soft snores of my Pokémon.

* * *

I decided to post character profiles. Go to the links to see them.

_Catch M. Hall: shorttext*com/7KNbJP_

_Red: shorttext*com/MrtSqv_

_Blue Oak: shorttext*com/cyIw83_

**Many thanks to Imagination12, TheKawaiiStar21, TammyHybrid21 (lot of names with the numerals 1 and 2, am I right? O.o), colbub, SmileRen, Someone (anonymous), and Pinkypink342 for reviewing!**


	11. Free Meals and Morning Showers

Chapter 11: Free Meals and Morning Showers

I woke up to the peeping cry of a Pidgey.

And let me tell you: that's not what you want to wake up to first thing in the morning.

"Ugaah…" I groaned, "Whazzit?"

"Pidgey!"

"Oh my gaaaawd," I moaned, blinking open my eyes. Rheum rimmed said eyes, and I wiped them away with my fists, yawning and stretching.

"Oh great, you're an early riser," I muttered, seeing the rest of my Pokémon still asleep. A bit annoyed, I threw a pillow at the stupid bird and turned over, getting ready to go back to sleep.

"Gey!"

"Oh my gawd, what is it?" I rose up, glaring at the bird like a bear from hibernation.

"Pidge…" even sassy Granola looked a bit unsure in the face of my morning wrath.

Then I heard her stomach rumble.

"Fine, fine…" I groaned, feeling the pangs of hunger myself. Usually I didn't in the morning, but I was starving now—most likely from my unintended fast the day before.

Sighing, I opened up one of our cans of Pokémon food. They were in cans to better make it so wild Pokémon wouldn't be able to open them, plus they helped to preserve the food without making it dry and tasteless.

Still, it was a pain opening the cans. I hated the stupid hand-powered can openers.

"You're just lucky," I grumbled. "I don't normally do this for anyone in the mornings, ya know."

"Pirrrdge" I never knew a Pokémon could look so smug, let alone a Pidgey.

Scraping the food out into a handy dish the Center had stocked in the connecting bathroom (they had everything here! So convenient!) I took the lid from the can and tucked it inside, wondering how to dispose of it here. Sighing, I decided to set it on the sink and ask the Nurse Joy later. Tromping over to the bed, I watched Granola eat, clearing the plate and rinsing it when she was down.

Lying back down on the covers (which were cream-colored with a Poké Ball design), I looked over to see Olive had fallen off the bed in her sleep, dragging some of the covers _with_ her. Chuckling at that, I rearranged said covers over her, and decided now was the perfect time to take a shower.

Except for one thing I'd forgotten…

There was a sleeping Squirtle in the bathtub.

Crap. What was I going to do _now_?

Usually, in the mornings, I had to rush to get ready for school and such, but today, I felt I could relax. It was nice, having no set schedule, since it gave us the flexibility to do whatever we wanted. However, I knew that without a schedule I tended to goof off and not get much done. _That_ little habit here would have to be nipped in the bud, though I doubted Red would let me slack much. Actually, I wondered if it would be even worse with Green. At least manga Green always seemed pretty uptight…but I had to remember: different media, different character.

Thus instead of booting the turtle outside the bathroom, I decided, with all the fast-working brainpower of a broken clock, to work on my hair first. That way when I re-brushed it after showering, it would be a whole lot easier to work with.

One thing about me: I never get bedhead. Like, ever. But in my case, it's nothing to be jealous of. Sure, my hair may _look_ nice and straight, but that's all a façade. Underneath the veneer of tidiness is a forest of snarls, tangles, and knots that has to be undone every single fricking day for my hair to ever get somewhat neat in reality. And it could get snarly just by me walking outside for an hour or so. Thus every morning after I showered I'd have to brush out my _stupid_ hair and then some. It was annoying as heck, because if I actually wanted my hair to stay neat consistently through the day, I'd have to brush it like at least five times a day. Which was four times too many for the lazy me, plus I didn't want to lose all my hair (though that'd be really convenient, and I _had_ considered just shaving it all off to make my life that much easier). Therefore, once a day was enough.

_You know, I should just take a razor to it and be done with it;_ I scowled to myself in the mirror. Gagging at my morning breath, I quickly brushed my teeth with the toothbrush and toothpaste I'd bought.

Man, I hated mornings. Surprisingly, I was very good at getting up anyway (years of school had taught me that) but I still hated them. With a passion.

And I couldn't even take my morning shower.

Did I mention that I think somebody hates me up there?

I sighed, and got up from the sink, glancing at the tub for the umpteenth time in the vague hope a certain someone would be awake by now.

And of course, he wasn't.

Humph. At least _someone's_ getting some sleep around here.

Guilt stabbed at me immediately afterwards. _I _wasn't the one going around and fighting off a bunch of Pokémon the day before, so what was _I_ complaining about?

Sighing, I attempted reasoning, but I knew I was totally unreasonable in the mornings. Until I woke up more, I would bear a little mini-grudge against all those who could sleep in today, regardless of what they did the night before.

I wanted to go down and get some breakfast for myself, but that would mean changing, which would mean getting into my clothes before I showered.

Speaking of clothes, I was really glad I'd had the foresight to buy a second pair of clothes (though I'd almost forgotten until Red had asked if I'd be wearing the same outfit everyday—like _he_ was one to talk. And since when did a _guy_ care anyway? Maybe it was because I'd be his traveling companion and he didn't want to smell me): a red shirt and blue shorts. Yep, totally original. Well hey; I could match no matter what the combination.

Shaking my head, I decided to read through my guidebooks. I had two, one on Pokémon care titled: _Pokémon Care and Training for Nitwits_, and _Kanto Locales for Nitwits_. I wondered if they'd had to change the name for copyright purposes, but then I remembered that I was in a totally different world, and who knew if they even _had_ copyright here.

I decided to skim through _Pokémon Care and Training for Nitwits_ while waiting for Mock to wake up. I'd want to finish the whole book at one point, anyway. Might as well read the introduction too, since I was one of the stupid people that always read that stuff. Plus, anything here _had_ to be more interesting than physics or chemistry.

_Introduction_

_The knowledge of the care and handling of a Pokémon is extremely important to facilitate relations between human and Pokémonkind. To better know how to care for a Pokémon, one must first understand as much as possible about Pokémon in general. For more information on the classification, identification, and specifics of Pokémon, see _Pokémon Identification for Nitwits_, _It's a Bird…It's a Plane…It's a Pokémon!_ by Charles Strouss, _Pokémon: Volume 1_ by Professor Oak, or _A Pokémon Definition Analysis_ by Professor Wormwood. The latter two are research documents that have been vital to our modern understanding of Pokémon and how we can define them._

_ However, if you have already read any of the above documents, or seek to know specifically about the care and training of your Pokémon, then read on._

"Man, I wish I could read that stuff they mentioned," I muttered to myself. "And was that a Superman joke?" I shook my head, "Nah…"

I stared up at the ceiling (which was white, in case anybody was curious) in despair. "Still, I might not have too much time to read this stuff…oh who am I kidding? I'll have _loads_ of time, what with trying to catch all three hundred and eighty-six Pokémon and stuff…Maybe I could ask Professor Oak to send the files via Pokédex."

Speaking of the Pokédex… I'd finally managed to somewhat figure out how to navigate it.

The device was a red machine that had a small panel of sorts that would open up to reveal a polished screen that looked like it was liquid crystal display or this world's equivalent. The inside of the panel had a Poké Ball symbol, which seemed to be everywhere in this world. The blue button to the side would turn the Dex on, and navigating the device itself was actually similar to playing a handheld video game, except that the direction was reversed. There was "A", the left button below the screen, and the "B" button to its right. Then even farther off to the right was the directional pad. Then of course there was the link cable port…

"Let's see…" I murmured to myself, "Oak's research documents…aha! There they are! Maybe there's more information on my situation in here."

I was interrupted at that moment by the wakeup cry of a dozy Squirtle. _Finally_!

Closing and shutting down the Pokédex and shutting the guidebook, I packed both items into my satchel and trundled into the bathroom, yawning while doing so.

"Goomorn Mock," I smiled at the turtle, before shooing him out, letting the water drain (foot tapping impatiently all the while) and then taking the long-awaited morning shower. Since I wasn't in a huge hurry, I took all the time I wanted.

Probably around forty-five minutes later, I came downstairs (or down-escalators?) to see Red just finishing up breakfast in the lounge, his hair looking a bit more tousled and damp. Huh. He must not be like his anime counterpart then, since he beat me to the first meal of the day.

"Good morning Red, what time is it, by the way?" I asked, feeling a lot more pleasant and refreshed.

He pointed at the clock nearby. It was nine on the dot. Okay, then. My bird had woken me up _way_ too early. I resolved to kill her later. Like when I wasn't so fuzzy-brained.

"Where'd you get the food?" I asked.

Another point, this one at the nurse. I felt like remarking to Red about the rudeness of pointing, but was too lazy to. _Besides, he can't really help it._ I had to remind myself of that. Hopefully I'd wake up altogether later, when I would be _completely_ pleasant and refreshed, no residue of grumpiness remaining.

"Welcome, here for breakfast?" the pink-haired lady asked cheerily.

I nodded, wondering if it was the same nurse from yesterday. Weren't these places open twenty-four hours a day? If so, then they would _have_ to change the nurse. Unless she was a robot alien as well like the player character. It wouldn't surprise me.

I'd been called a space alien before too, actually, but it was for the opposite reason. I could eat a _lot_ of food, and people had asked me how I could eat so much and _not_ get fat (the secret: I actually _love_ healthy food, like I prefer turkey sandwiches and apple slices over chips or chocolate. Yes, I'm weird, and no, I'm _not_ a space alien! I might be a space _cadet_, but that's a whole different story…). But I wasn't as bad as Michael Phelps. That guy was crazy!

"Well then, just scan your trainer card here and input the number of Pokémon you currently have with you here," the space alien pointed at a nearby machine that looked like some sort of kiosk. "In case this is your first time using our food service, you only need to enter the Pokémon you have with you, not the ones in the Pokémon Storage System. A list of available meal options will show up as well, though you are only allowed to eat up to three meals a day with your trainer card, and this goes across all Centers, so you cannot eat two meals here and then eat three in Pewter. However, all meals are free of charge, as long as you have a valid trainer ID."

"…Thanks," I replied a bit suspiciously (I didn't trust her, with that Pan-Am smile, that perfectly done hair, and that perfectly done face… She must be one of the Barbie robots), passing the card underneath the scanner. At that moment, the screen on the machine lit up and I entered that I had four Pokémon. After that, I selected the ham and cheese omelet (they're so delissshious), opting for orange juice to drink. I glanced at a door behind the kiosk that looked to be where the meals were made, and felt curiosity stir. I wanted to check the place out. Maybe I'd find the secret to the robot aliens there…like the entrance to their mothership.

Realizing it would probably be rude to just barge in the back, as there was a sign that said: "Employees Only," I sighed and sat down with Red instead. I didn't want to get kicked out… That'd be my luck. Catch M. Hall, the first and only trainer to get kicked out of a Pokémon Center for snooping in the kitchens and babbling robot alien conspiracies.

Setting aside a scraped clean (he must have been hungry) plate and utensils, Red nodded to me, and raised an eyebrow. I understood right away what his question was. _Where are the Pokémon?_

"They're asleep," I answered, "Well, aside from Granola, who woke me up, and Mock, who I thought was right behind me…" I glanced back to see the Squirtle just coming down the escalators, followed by Colby, Granola, and Olive. "Well, guess they're all here, though how they opened the door I don't even want to know…" I shook my head.

The meal came soon after, and it turns out that they even fed the Pokémon here! Which…made a lot of sense, now that I thought upon it.

Even though she'd eaten earlier, Granola still made a big pig of herself. Not that I was one to talk. The omelet was delicious, and I was hungry. Not much more to say about that than _that_.

"So, wanna set out then?" I asked Red when I'd finished eating along with my Pokémon, "Or do you still need to take care of things here?"

The boy shook his head. _Setting out's fine with me. You said that you wanted to explore Route 22?_

"Yep!" I beamed, "My fortune cookie said we're going to find something interesting there!"

Yeah. Let's pretend that that made _so_ much sense. Let's also pretend that Red wasn't completely confused by that. Yep. Commence pretending…_now_.

A few seconds later, we'd put our plates on the cleaning counter…thing, whatever it's called. They have them in cafeterias; that's all I know! Right afterward we left our room key cards with the nurse and exited the Center.

It was a bright morning day, and I smiled and gazed around me. I hated mornings, but I could definitely appreciate the special atmosphere such times always had.

Tromping through Viridian, we left via the west exit, and entered Route 22. Nothing special happened on our very short journey there.

We'd just left the tall grass when I heard the familiar voice that I'd been both anticipating and dreading.

Yeah. Mostly dreading.

"Hey! Red!"

* * *

**I don't own the "For Dummies" series, nor Charles Strouss or his musical, and Professor Wormwood is a shout-out to the very amazing and dedicated person on deviantART. Seriously, he is...bloody brilliant! You all should check him out if you are nerds like me who are interested in the possible mechanics of the Pokémon world.**

**Thanks to SmileRen, TammyHybrid21, Pinkypink342, TheKawaiiStar21, and colbub for reviewing!**


	12. Repartee and Rival Battles

Chapter 12: Repartee and Rival Battles

I turned around. Well. A sight for sore eyes. _Not_.

"You're off to the Pokémon League?" the spiky-haired _lamebrain_ was here.

I shook my head, "Are you fricking stupid, Gr-Blue? Do we _look_ like we're ready for the League?"

The boy smirked, "Heh, like _you'd_ ever be!" he pointedly turned away from me to look at Red.

Such dismissal, as if I was _beneath_ his time. I _despised_ it when people did that to me.

"Forget about it! You probably don't have any Badges, do you?" he chuckled at the silent boy beside me.

"That's why we're not going…" I hissed between clenched teeth, trying to keep my temper in check. I caught Red staring at me in concern. And I was doing _so_ well too… But it was easy to be nice around Red. _Not_ so easy around his childhood_ friend_.

But again, I was ignored by a certain person who _must_ have a death wish.

"The guard won't let you through without them," the boy stood confidently in a slouch, hands in pockets. He stared intently at his rival, "By the way, did your Pokémon get any stronger?"

Red tensed, while Green grinned cockily. They both got into a "ready stance" as it was called in sports. And Pokémon battling seemed to be this world's main sport, so it made sense, in a weird way. _Hm…wonder if this stance is described in the battling book Red bought._ Both were as intense as in their first battle, but each had more moves and Green, at least, had more Pokémon to work with.

I was standing off to the side, forgotten, with Green on my left and Red on my right. My eyes swiveled between the two of them, wondering who'd make the first move. It was almost like a cowboy showdown. If I didn't have any emotional attachment, I would've brought popcorn.

Green chuckled and withdrew a Poké Ball from his pocket. "I'll start first. Go, Pidgey!"

A familiar-looking brown-and-tan bird emerged. I started. There was a huge difference between this Pidgey and mine. It had a youthful wide-eyed innocence unlike my diva of a bird. Hmm…maybe a younger Pidgey like Green's would have been more trainable than mine.

Still, no matter what, Red would be at a type disadvantage in this fight. I just hoped he'd be able to overcome it.

Throwing his own ball, Red watched it land and open to reveal Bulbasaur.

I bit my lip, trying hard not to let my worry show.

Green looked shocked, and subsequently amused. "You sent out your Bulbasaur? Pfft, don't make me laugh. Did you even listen to Miss Board when she was speaking about Pokémon types?"

I glared at the boy.

"Whatever. Pidgey, Gust!"

The bird fluttered high above the plain, flapping its wings hard to create a mini cyclone. It moved pretty fast, and I winced, thinking of how devastating cyclones were in other video games I'd played. Bulbasaur attempted to move, but before I knew it the tornado had picked him up and swirled him inside like a mixer.

This wasn't good.

The wind died down, and Bulbasaur staggered to its feet to face another Gust.

_No fair! Bulbasaur will be knocked out for sure! _ I couldn't help but feel so…_useless_, standing here on the side. But I couldn't do anything. This wasn't my battle, but Red's.

Red nodded at Bulbasaur, and the Pokémon nodded back. Picking himself up, Bulbasaur sidestepped the tornado and shot a blast of purple-colored powder at the bird, off guard from attacking.

Ah. Poisonpowder. I'd seen Red use it before when we'd been training. The powder was toxic to breathe (as I'd experienced the first time he'd used it, being downwind at the time—Red had apologized profusely, but luckily we'd been near the Pokémon Center).

Coughing, the bird turned around to glare at Bulbasaur before Tackling, shuddering in pain all the while.

The frogasaur took the blow easily, as patient and steadfast as many other grass-types I'd seen. Sure, he might not have been fast enough to avoid the attacks, but he had enough hit points to last. Taking advantage of the bird's momentary distraction, the frogasaur Tackled himself, knocking the bird out of the air. While the Pidgey was stunned, dark green vines stretched from around the plant on Bulbasaur's body and wrapped themselves around the bird, lifting it high.

As I watched I realized that Red and Bulbasaur, despite being caught off guard, still had come up with a decent strategy. Wait for the bird to come to you, and then take advantage of its proximity to attack. Then again, maybe they'd had practice against the Spearow.

Flying types were difficult to battle against if one had no long-range moves. However, there was one key weakness to them that I'd noticed myself with my own Pidgey.

If the flying types had no long-range moves themselves, then they had to come to their opponent. Most smart Pokémon took that opportunity to attack and perhaps turn the tables. Once their wings were clipped, literally or figuratively, flying types were virtually defenseless.

The Pidgey, recovered, thrashed and writhed in its green prison, but to no avail. The vines constricted tighter with each movement it made. Eventually the bird got smart and started to nip at the vines, but this only resulted in it being hurled against the rock formation behind me.

I yelped, having had quite a scare, and glanced at the bird. Yep, it was out. That Poisonpowder had probably aided the quick defeat.

"Pidgey, return!" I heard Green's voice, and I glanced back to see him scowling, teeth gritted. "Tch, that was just a warm-up. Now you'll feel the flames! Go, Charmander!"

"Squirt!" Mock yelled, and I glanced down. My own Pokémon had been so quiet that I'd forgotten they were there. Even Granola seemed to sense that it'd be better not to get involved.

As the flash of white light cleared, revealing Green's Charmander, I felt the battle tension amp up to new levels.

Red and Green shot each other looks, and I felt suddenly like there was a bubble separating me from them. I had forgotten: Green had grown up _with_ Red, so he was a whole lot better at reading him, at connecting, than I was. They could communicate on a level I couldn't, because both of them were born Pallet Town citizens that shared the same dream: to become the Champion.

I felt a bit left out, truthfully. I knew that no matter what, however close I got to Red, I could never be like Green was to him. I chuckled to myself. It didn't hurt, per se… Just that, well…I'd already expected it.

As Red and Green, Bulbasaur and Charmander fought, I watched on the side with Mock. We were both outsiders, though Mock less so.

But that was all right. After all, I didn't plan on staying in this world, where little boys stayed young and forever had great adventures.

Hm. That sounded similar to Peter Pan.

I chuckled to myself and shook my head. Then did that make me Wendy?

Rather than feeling melancholy over this realization, it cheered me up. Wendy had been through terrors, but she still got home all right in the end. I smiled while I watched Bulbasaur evade a blast of fire, and retaliate by charging into the Charmander.

And that was when it happened.

I felt it before I saw it. Queasy, uneasy, and suddenly ripples spreading outward. I felt like I was in the locus of an earthquake or something.

In each quiver, I saw flashes of pixels and strange colors, and for one crazy second, I saw _them_.

Green wore a purple shirt and black pants, and Red…his outfit had changed slightly. But I didn't take much notice in that. Mostly in his _cap_.

Instead of the usual red with the white Poké Ball design and white rim, both the cap and rim was red, and there was a white rectangular patch on the front with some sort of design in the lower right. It lay atop a mess of black spikes.

Both of them looked a little more childish and a little _brattier_ for some reason, but I could see that they were still _themselves_.

And when my sudden seizure…_whatever_ it was had ended, they went back to normal.

And acted like nothing had happened.

"Go, Charmander! Use Scratch!"

The fire lizard dived for the frogasaur, but said frogasaur moved out of the way and proceeded to Tackle the salamander into the ground.

Every time the Charmander's Ember hit, I winced for Bulbasaur, but Red calmly used Potions on him, and the frogasaur would get up after each time.

I didn't really pay much attention to the rest of the battle however. My mind was too busy racing over the recent event. What _was_ that? I'd never got any warning of occurrences like that from the professor. Maybe there was a glitch in the game or something, ridiculous as that sounded?

Eventually, the chorus of battle sounds ended, and I focused my attention on the field to see Bulbasaur standing triumphantly over a fallen fire lizard.

"Aww, you just lucked out!" Green grumbled and kicked at the ground, returning his Pokémon sullenly and handing some money over. "Hm, you've been silent this whole time, Catch. What, no half-wit comments from your end?"

"Hm? Oh, hello Green," I waved distractedly.

"I think you're getting too used to Red here," he jabbed a thumb at the boy. "You don't remember how to talk right, much less my own name."

"Oh, shut up," I rolled my eyes, temper flaring despite myself. "You're so immature, _Blue_."

"_What_? Oh, look at the pot calling the kettle black!"

"At least you admit it."

"Hmph. Talking to you is like talking to a mirror. You just reflect everything I say, with no original contributions of your own."

"_What_?" I spluttered. The _nerve_ of him! I looked at Red, "Did you _hear_ what he said?"

Said boy just chuckled and shook his head, conveying his meaning clearly. _I'm not getting in the middle of this._

My earlier contemplation forgotten, I glared at the brunette, "You're lucky. If you hadn't just been wasted by Red, I would've been happy to sweep the floor with you!"

"Pfft, like you could do it! Even with a type advantage, you could _never_ beat me!"

"Wanna try to back up your words?"

"No thanks," he chuckled, "After all, I'm not here to waste my time with _losers_."

"Say that _again_," I threatened.

"_Make_ me!"

"Wait…I was daring you, so normally you'd say it again just to piss me off."

"Well, I'm doing the opposite, _just to piss you off_."

"Grr, your ability to annoy me is matched only by the obnoxiousness of that rat's nest you call hair."

"It's not a rat's nest! For your information, the girls _love_ this so-called rat's nest, so there!"

"Heh, how many girls have you met in your prepubescent life? I'm sure they were only trying to be _nice_."

"Well, they're a lot more well-mannered than _you_. Your mouth is like a _sewer_ _pipe_."

"Wow, real creative there. I'm sure that whoever used that on you must be real proud you remembered it."

"Well, at least I can _remember_ things. Your memory is so poor it's _begging_ on the _streets_."

"True, but at least it's still _trying_. Yours gave up before it could even _exist_."

"Hmph, if you had another brain, it'd be _lonely_."

"Brains aren't everything. In your case, they're _nothing_."

I was distracted at this point by noises. Looking to my left, where they came from, I saw Mock and Granola cheering me on, probably coming up with a few insults of their own.

Oh gawd. How embarrassing, being caught childishly exchanging insults by my own Pokémon. Green _really_ wasn't the best influence on me. Or maybe it was the other way around. I wasn't sure.

Green had noticed my fan club as well and chuckled, "Looks like your Pokémon are as immature as _you_ are."

Before I could come up with another witty retort that would most likely end up in an all-out brawl, he continued, "Well, enough. I can't waste time with losers like you. I hear the Pokémon League is crawling with tough trainers. _I _have to figure out how to get past them."

He started to walk away, and then glanced back at Red, "You should quit dawdling with lamebrain there and get a move on."

Shaking my fist at the boy's retreating back, I turned to see Red shaking his head. "He's such an immature jerk!"

Red raised an eyebrow.

I glared; looks like I was rubbing off on him. "I know I shouldn't let him get to me!" I sighed, slouching. "I can't help it though; that boy is so incredibly infuriating!" I stomped my foot. Yep. Real mature. Whatever. Tell me you wouldn't have wanted to do that too.

Red rolled his eyes and walked ahead. A bit annoyed at how lightly he took Green's capacity to annoy people, I followed, muttering mutinously under my breath.

After getting to the Pokémon Center and healing Bulbasaur, we left Viridian City through the north exit, making sure to say goodbye to Miss Board and trying to ignore Mr. Dull. It worked…kinda.

We entered the gateway building, which had a lovely blue-and-gold interior, plus a couple trainers, one of them commenting on my Rattata. Quickly moving past, we entered the forest.

And that's when I remembered. In all the fuss with Green I'd forgotten about those strange ripples and the bizarre appearances of Red and Green. I should've contacted Oak at the Center while we were there.

Well, I'd just have to do it when we got to Pewter. Hopefully nothing weird would happen until then.

And hopefully Murphy's Law wouldn't decide to kick me in the butt.

* * *

The insults: some I came up with, some I'd heard somewhere.

**Many thanks to SmileRen, TheKawaiiStar21, kenegi, Fallen Vanguard, Pinkypink342, and TammyHybrid21 for reviewing! :D**


	13. Brave Bugs and Yellow Thieves

Chapter 13: Brave Bugs and Yellow Thieves

"Viridian Forest is the largest stretch of virgin forest in the Kanto region. Well-known for both its generous quantity of low-level bug Pokémon and its maze-like quality, beginning trainers often use it to train for the Pewter Gym. The most common Pokémon here are Caterpie and Weedle, though Metapod and Kakuna also abound. A little-known fact by outsiders is that it's one of two places to capture the elusive and well-loved Pikachu," I read aloud.

I closed _Kanto Locales for Nitwits_ with a snap. "Well, maybe we'll find one of those elusive Pikachu or something…"

Red shrugged. I could tell he didn't really care. Well, _that_ would change. Hopefully.

"I want a Caterpie, personally," I gushed. "I've always liked them, and Butterfree are plain awesome, plus they have killer accuracy." I knew they weren't well-liked for their mediocre stats, but I didn't really care. I wasn't going to be a competitive battler like Red. I was fine with just being a casual trainer. My main goal was to catch all the Pokémon, train them to evolve, and complete my Pokédex.

Of course, the first Pokémon we came across _had_ to be Weedle.

_Darn, I only have one Poké Ball…_ I gritted my teeth and ordered Olive against it. She was my lowest-leveled Pokémon at level seven. Normally, I'd worry about going against Brock or something. But just because I was a trainer didn't mean I would join the League challenge. I'd decided against Gyms. Besides, it would be harrowing enough having _one_ person trying it. I'd seen that much from the anime and manga.

I glanced to my right, spotting Bulbasaur slamming a Weedle against a tree with its vines. Wincing for the bug, I looked ahead to see that Olive had taken care of hers as well.

One thing about battling wild Pokémon here is that the unconscious bodies stayed there afterward (I always avoided them- feeling absurdly guilty each time I saw them. Also, for some reason, I couldn't capture a fainted Pokémon. I'd tried, but it hadn't worked…for _some_ _reason_.

Noticing how easily our Pokémon took care of the native forest Pokémon, I got an idea. We hadn't gotten far; in fact we were still at the entrance where one lone tree stood. "Want to split up for the training session? We can meet back here at the tree at noon and maybe go back to Viridian to have lunch at the Center.

Red thought about it for a second and shook his head.

"Huh? What's wrong?" I asked. He usually agreed with whatever I suggested (though that probably wasn't a good thing).

_I don't want to backtrack,_ he wrote, eyes determined.

I stared at him, and then sighed, "I see. It's because of what Gr-Blue said, right?"

He nodded. _I don't want to get left behind._

Oh. I'd never actually thought of it much while playing the games, but here, where the rivalry was actually _real_, it made sense. I could spend ten hours leveling if I wanted (not that I ever did) while playing my game and my rival would _still_ be at the same area, waiting for me. But here, Green would keep moving and training. I was sure he wouldn't wait for Red if the boy couldn't keep up.

This was an adventure, but we couldn't just waste time as we pleased, since Red had a rival. It made me wonder about those that _didn't_ have rivals. It must be so much more relaxing. True, I didn't have one myself, but I was traveling with somebody that _did_. And if I didn't want to be left behind myself, I had to keep up with his pace.

Agreeing to meet back at the tree and eat lunch underneath it instead, we went our separate ways to train.

My Pokémon and I had gotten a sort of formation while walking. Granola liked to scout ahead, Olive and Mock walked one at each side of me, and Colby was the rear-guard. Normally with Red, Mock and Bulbasaur would walk between us, while Olive just generally marched around us. But now, instead of hearing the normal Pokémon chatter from the two starters, it was quiet.

"Do I miss them already?" I shook my head, disgusted. "I can't believe myself."

"Caterpie!"

"Huh?" I focused back on my surroundings. The forest was quiet, stifling almost. Sound was muffled here, and the air was thick and heady. It smelled almost sweet, and I was thankful that mosquitoes and flies didn't exist here. Because otherwise they would've been circling my head in a thick swarm. Mosquitoes especially tended to love me, and I swelled up like a balloon after each bite. It was…aggravating. I had a theory that it was race-related, since all the other Asians I knew complained about that. Also, my Caucasian friends and I could walk through a cloud of bugs, and I would be ridden with bites, while they only sported one or two.

The little-known pains of being Asian. Fortunately I didn't have to deal with it now.

"Caterpie!"

I glanced downward to see a terrible sight. Granola was swooping down upon a small, green worm standing on its tail, bravely glaring down the bird. Its determined, fearless expression made the sight more touching than ridiculous.

"Granola, stop!" I yelled.

The bird ignored me.

I felt anger flare in my belly, and rise to my chest, before finally arriving at my head. If I were in an anime, steam would probably be coming out from my ears.

Sprinting ahead to the Caterpie, I snatched it up before it could become lunch.

Granola fluttered near the ground, her food gone, and glared at me.

I glared back. This was the _last_ straw. That bird would learn to obey me or she'd be confined to her ball outside of battles from now on.

"Granola, you are the absolute worst!" I hissed out from between clenched teeth. "When I tell you to _stop_, you _stop_."

"Pidge!" the bird huffed and turned away.

Patience was not a virtue either of us possessed.

"Squirt…" Mock placed a blue hand…foot…thing on my leg, obviously trying to get my attention.

I looked down, huffing, "What _is_ it, Mock?"

"Squirt…" he nodded and then trundled over to where Granola perched on a nearby tree, ignoring us all.

Looks like he'd be the peacekeeper. _Fine then._

I sighed, and peered down at the caterpillar in my hands that had stayed quiet while all this was going on.

"Cat…" I could swear its eyes were shining.

"Um…hello, there," I chuckled nervously.

"Pi…" it chirped, and nestled in my arms, not looking like it'd be leaving anytime soon. Glancing at my other Pokémon, I saw Olive was grinning. Colby didn't look like he cared much, but then again, this was _Colby_.

Normally, I wasn't too fond of bugs, but Caterpie were adorable. Petting the Pokémon absently, I got out my last Poké Ball and knocked it against the bug's side.

When the ball let loose sparks to signal a successful capture, I scratched my head. Did I just experience the…Ash effect?

I decided to keep the bug in the ball for now, since Granola was still being troublesome.

"Well," I grinned at my other Pokémon, also known as Colby and Olive. I felt my mouth muscles clench tightly, and ignored how my Pokémon shrank back. "Since Granola's still being a stubborn mule, you guys get some extra training time."

We went at it, though I kept my eye on the sky and the sun's position. When both Colby and Olive had reached level ten, I stopped them. Olive learned Low Kick at level nine, which wasn't particularly useful with all the bug-types here, but I knew would be extremely useful later. I'd also found a Poké Ball on the ground, which I decided to save. Maybe I'd find a Pikachu, haha.

By then Mock had persuaded Granola to calm down, and while things had remained frosty between the two of us for a while, the ice had eventually thawed when I watched Granola be thoroughly scolded by our new teammate. A female with a brave nature, I'd named her Butter and she was completely fearless. She seemed to admire me for some reason, and was kind of…okay, she _was_ adorable. It didn't take her long to evolve into a Metapod either.

That had been fun to watch. The whole white glow, before Butter shifted into a cocoon before my eyes. If I had a camera, I would've recorded the experience for sure.

I wanted to train her to go through her final evolution, but by then the sun was high in the sky.

I trudged back to the meeting spot in front of the oak by the entrance. Sliding down the trunk with a sigh, I watched Butter and Granola chatter back and forth. Huh. Looks like they got along fine now, which was kind of weird. But maybe Granola would be less of a prima donna with a friend.

Mock and Olive had automatically paired up as well, while Colby sat away from us all, staring off into the distance. If I was any other person, I might have thought his antisocial behavior was a problem, but I understood that some people (and Pokémon too, it seemed) were solitary by nature. It was enough to me that he thought this team worth fighting for.

I started when Red suddenly appeared before me. "Are you a ninja or something?" I gasped out.

Shaking his head in amusement, Red knelt down to greet my various Pokémon, showering special attention on Butter, and I noticed with surprise that his Bulbasaur…was now an Ivysaur.

"Wow, you evolved!" I exclaimed, rushing over to Bulba- I mean Ivysaur. By now both of us were comfortable enough with each other that I could inspect him without worry.

"You look so cool!" I complimented the upgraded frogasaur, stepping back to let my teammates admire him.

Mock, Olive, and Butter were the warmest congratulators, though Colby seemed impressed too. Granola humphed and flapped up to a tree.

I glanced at Red, attempting to ignore her rudeness and jealousy, "Did you capture any Pokémon?"

A nod. _A Weedle._ By his expression, I could tell that it wasn't a _mind-link_ Pokémon.

"Nothing else?"

He looked confused by my question, and shook his head.

Huh.

Well, whatever. I'm sure fate would intervene while we were here. We hadn't _left_ the place yet.

Opening up my satchel, I opened five cans, while Red opened two, surprising me. I smacked my forehead. He wasn't _heartless_! Even if he would end up boxing that Weedle, he wouldn't starve it just because they didn't share a special connection.

After taking care of the Pokémon, we dug around our respective bags for trail rations. Having a father obsessed with anything martial-related, I'd eaten plenty of MREs (Meals, Ready-to-Eat). They were actually pretty good, and the trail rations here seemed similar.

Tearing open one of the brown bags, I shook out the contents. More bags, most of food, though one held a box (of food), another a plastic spoon.

Remembering what I'd did before when eating these, I briefly wished that Mock knew Water Gun to help cook the food before seeing Red lift up a filled water bottle. Oh, so _he'd_ been smart enough to be prepared.

The basic way to eat these MREs was to insert whatever entrée I wanted to have cooked (this one was some sort of beef stew- though it was probably Tauros meat, which I didn't want to think about, nor about the ham-and-cheese omelet I had today, otherwise I'd turn vegetarian) into the flameless ration heater (FRH), with the heating pad on one side, fill the FRH up with water to in between the two lines drawn out, and let it cook for a few minutes in the original box the entrée came in, making sure to prop it up at a slight angle. Afterward, if the side dish had to be cooked, you would take out the entrée bag and insert the side dish into the FRH, putting it back into the side dish box, and let that cook for a couple minutes.

In the end, it was too bad we didn't have a Brock or Cilan to whip up homemade meals, but we weren't insanely lucky anime characters. Only an insanely lucky video game character and a hapless unlucky girl that came from a different world.

So yeah, we'd have to make do with trail rations.

I tore open the multigrain snack bread (they were pretty much crackers) and spread peanut butter and jelly on them while waiting for my entrée to finish cooking.

Red opened his bag with distaste, and I chuckled at him. "You're the one that suggested this."

He made a sour face, and I couldn't help but laugh. Before that moment, I never would have been able to tell that he was eleven years old if I hadn't known that fact already.

"They're not that bad," I reassured him, "In fact, they're quite good. Or at least the ones from home—" I slapped a hand over my mouth, hoping he hadn't caught the obvious slip-up.

Red did nothing but glance at me curiously before turning back to his bag.

I shook my head, amazed at how he could be so…_unintruding_, before glancing over my other packages. Pretzels, nuts and raisin mix, hazelnut cocoa, hot sauce, lemon tea, salt, chewing gum, toilet tissue, and a toilette. They had everything here.

Munching on my peanut butter and jelly multigrain snack bread crackers, I looked up at the sky. I liked doing that. This was a pretty thick forest, but you could still see the sky, though it wasn't as impressive as it usually was, with dark leaves blocking out much of it.

I had just finished cooking my entrée, tearing open the package carefully to prevent the contents from squirting into my face when a curious sound alerted us to company. I looked, and then looked again, not believing my eyes.

It was a small yellow rodent. A small, _limping_ yellow rodent. And it was crying.

My head swiveled to Red before I could stop myself.

But he didn't notice, his gaze riveted on the creature in front of us.

Stretching out a shaking paw, it mewled pitifully.

Red, not breaking eye contact, approached it slowly and set down some dried fruit.

"Pika…" it cried, gazing into Red's eyes gratefully, hopping close enough to touch Red's knee.

I smiled at the adorable scene.

And then stood up straight when the Pokémon shocked the hapless trainer, stole his hat, and swiped nearly half his food before fleeing, not limping _for some reason_.

"W-what?" I stammered before rising, meal forgotten at the moment. "That little…it just…" I felt a bit of righteous anger for Red before the humor of the situation hit me.

Red was a second before me, eyes intense. I took a moment to admire his hilariously spiky _uncovered_ hair, and snorted.

He glared at me with enough intensity to make me take a step backward, then turned to the direction the Pikachu went and dashed off.

Wow. Red really loved his hat.

Asking everyone but Mock to guard the food, I followed Red (and Ivysaur, who'd followed his master) with the Squirtle in my arms. He was about as heavy as my satchel on the ground, so it didn't really bother me to carry him.

This was too good to miss.

That mouse led us a merry chase past items and trainers who challenged us to battle. We ignored them.

_Geez, does this thing ever run out of energy? _I thought after a while. _At this rate, Red will have to get a new hat._

Red seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he sped up just a bit. His Ivysaur had been using Vine Whip that whole time to try and capture Pikachu, but it'd been too quick until just now.

"Pika!" it cried after being wrapped, and started to gnaw on the vines. But before it could either wriggle free or make Ivysaur let go, we caught up to it. It stopped gnawing to look up, a guilty grin plastered on its face.

Red glared down silently at the rodent, and I looked between the two of them as some sort of silent conversation took place. From their body language (and my knowledge of Red and his mischievous Pikachu), it probably went something like this:

_I'm disappointed in you. If you wanted food, you could have just asked instead of going through that whole charade._

_ Humph. I do what I want. Besides, how could you expect me to trust you? You're a human!_

_ Not all humans are bad. And why did you steal _mycap_?_

_ It looked nice. Besides, it looks better on me than you._

What_? My mother gave me that cap!_

_ What a momma's boy! Heh, I like you; you're funny._

_ That aside, just give me my hat back and no one will get killed._

_ Humph, fine. I probably would've stuck out like a sore thumb with it anyway._

Grumbling, the Pikachu handed the hat to Red, who smiled at the mouse benignly once he got it back.

I shivered, remembering his earlier scowls. Note to self: never steal Red's hat, or else end up dead.

Soon afterward, Ivysaur loosened his vines, allowing the Pikachu to slip to the ground. It gave Red one last look before dashing away into the forest.

Huh? It didn't join Red?

Well, this was interesting.

We walked back to our lunch site, and I took the opportunity to tease Red about his cap. He took it pretty well, probably since I wasn't actually threatening to _take_ the thing.

I picked up my entrée bag and scowled. The beef stew had gone cold. "Blasted rodent. Well, at least the food's still here. Thanks, guys, for protecting our stuff," I said to my Pokémon.

My guard Pokémon, having finished eating already, snoozed in the shade while Red, Ivysaur, Mock, and I ate our now-cooled food.

"So, what'd you think of that Pikachu?" I asked the boy, who seemed a bit lost in thought.

He smiled. _It was a bit mischievous, but good-hearted._ He could write so fast and neatly that it made me jealous. Again, I would have to learn sign language sometime.

"Did you mind-link with it?" I asked, pushing those thoughts to the back of my mind for the more important matter at hand.

_Mind-link?_

"Yeah, you know, when you do that weird psychic connection thing with them.

Red shook his head. _I'm not psychic._

"Well, you're _something_. I know sure as heck that _I_ can't do that thing with _my_ Pokémon."

He smiled. _No, it's nothing supernatural. Ivysaur and I just know each other enough_, (at this, he shared _another_ smile [gawd, he was happy today] with his Pokémon) _that we both know the best moves to use in a battle. Besides, I've been practicing alternate forms of ordering, just in case._

He clapped, snapped, whistled, and made signs, subsequently smiling at me. _The sound effects can be used when the Pokémon is facing away from you. For instance, if I clap once, then Ivysaur will use Tackle. This signal_, he fisted two hands on top of each other, _means the same thing. Signing is best used for noisy environments but with a clear view._

I shook my head. It was amazing what humans could do to adapt and make things work somehow. "You're incredible," I said simply and truthfully, before asking, "So what if the battlefield is both noisy _and_ your Pokémon cannot see you?"

He grinned._ Then that's what the mind-link is for. Normally Ivysaur doesn't need any signals, since we've both hammered out strategies for dealing with different opponents. However, if we're going up against something new…that's when they might be necessary. And if such a situation arose against an unfamiliar opponent…then I wouldn't worry. I trust Ivysaur's judgment._

Wow.

I couldn't help but be impressed. Red and Ivysaur were a perfect team. It made me think of animal shows. These activities involved a great deal of _trust_ between both the human and animal, usually from years of companionship. It was more than just primping and following orders: if the person didn't have supreme confidence in the animal, and vice versa, then they wouldn't be able to put on a great performance for the judges.

I guess the same thing applied to battling. My Pokémon _trusted_ me to care for them, be smart in battling, and help train them to grow stronger. I trusted them to protect me if needed from wild Pokémon, and help me gain money from battling so I could take care of them. It was a never-ending loop.

Pokémon training and battling was a partnership activity. Red already that part down pat.

I smiled. Even if he wasn't perfect yet, or even if he didn't have all the _cerebral_ knowledge of Pokémon training and battling (as I figured, since he bought a guide on battling), he had plenty of heart. And, I realized now: that was a huge part of all of this.

It made my earlier squabbles with Granola seem petty. I was secretly glad that Red wasn't witness to that earlier fiasco (though he had seen me struggle with her at Route 22).

I shook my head. "Every time I start to think I know you, you surprise me."

_Same here._

I was a bit surprised by that statement, and shook my head. I wasn't nearly as unpredictable as Red.

We finished eating in peace.

"Are we going to continue now?" I asked Red afterward. Our food packages were fortunately biodegradable (this world took better care of itself than mine, most likely because Pokémon habitats were more valuable here than animal habitats in my world).

We threw the packages (Red had less than me, since that Pikachu had stolen nearly half of his and that sap of a boy let the mouse keep them) into some sort of biodegradable waste disposal bin at the gateway.

Leaving said gateway, we set off deeper into the forest.

It wasn't until later that I realized Red had never answered my question.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE), just so you know. Everything in the fic I got from an MRE menu.**

But that aside, I had an amazing reviewer turnout for the last chapter, which makes me happy. I was worried that I wouldn't do the battle justice, but you guys seemed to like it. Thank you, you guys make my day. :) **Especially kenegi, SmileRen, TheKawaiiStar21, TammyHybrid21, colbub, Born To Be Awesome, Searching For Enadi (sorry, FFN won't let me write out your name the way it is), nostalgicCyanide, Pinkypink342, and Fallen Vanguard!**


	14. Bug Catchers and Compromises

Chapter 14: Bug Catchers and Compromises

Life could be oh-so-dull sometimes.

And why was that? Well, I'm glad you asked.

I now knew what Brock and Misty must have felt like, always being shunted off to the side for Ash, the main character.

Because that's what happened to me.

Every time a stupid kid with a straw hat, shorts (his arms and ankles marred with bug bites) and a gigantic net approached us, I wanted to scream.

Didn't they know they were going to get creamed? And what the heck was with all the Metapod and Kakuna? And using Harden…what a dumb move. Defense would do you no good by itself. Pokémon like Wobuffet were the few exceptions.

Every time a stupid bug catcher kid would challenge us to battle, it would always be Red (according to one of the kids, the capped boy gave off more of a "trainer" vibe than me, which was most likely true…oh well). I would always be shoved to the side and would have to make do with watching a boring battle of Red wiping the floor with them. There wasn't even any element of worry over getting poisoned, since Ivysaur was part-poison.

But what I hated the most were the "Crawling Cocoon Challenges" as I liked to call them, or CCC for short.

When a trainer sent out a Metapod or Kakuna, you knew they were desperate. What did they expect, for Ivysaur to run out of power points (PP) or something?

I don't know if that was even possible here.

Well, I'd seen Mock get tired of Tackle after a whole montage of it once, so maybe that little part of the games had transferred here too.

Then again, weren't the games based off this world, not the other way around?

This was too effing complicated.

After the second pointless battle, we'd picked up an extra Parlyz Heal, which Red got (again). There was an unspoken agreement between us that Red would get most of the healing items, probably needing them more, while I would get most of the balls, being the one trying to "catch them all." Of course, Red didn't know about my mission, but he did realize after a while that I had an obsession with completing the Pokédex. He probably figured I was just some big research nerd. Well, that was probably true, though that wasn't the reason why I was doing this. Anyway, I wouldn't need to catch the Pokémon Red had, since I figured we'd arrange a huge trading session at one point. Later I'd need to go to the Daycare and all that crap… Great.

While traversing the woods, we'd quickly figured out that if the path forked, the bug catchers would always be in the non-tall grass part. After a while, I decided to just train while Red battled trainers.

But I'd need to battle trainers _sometime_. I still needed to pay Red back. I kept the Pokémon Mart receipt with me just to help me remember, so I knew that, using some basic math, I owed him around P1366.66, the P of course standing for Pokémon Dollars.

But I'd decided to pay him back P1500 instead, just to be nice. I would call it interest, plus it was an easier number to remember than P1366.66.

So, new mini-goal. Gain at least P1500 to pay Red back pretty soon. But I didn't want to steal his trainers. He needed the experience more than I did.

I decided to level Granola and Butter together when Red fought other trainers, since they got along well. It seemed that despite Granola attempting to _eat_ Butter, there were no hard feelings between the two Pokémon, which I still didn't understand. Still, all that mattered was that there was finally _somebody_ that got along with the stupid bird.

And unlike Granola, Butter was a popular addition to the team, getting along well with the others. The Metapod seemed to look up to me, which felt nice, though it was unjustified. I hadn't been a good role model so far, bickering with Green and Granola like a child.

Hmm… It seemed that I didn't get along with _anybody_ whose name started with a G… Well, technically, for Blue, it was a B, but that was a technicality. Besides, if that rule still applied, I wouldn't get along with Butter then, and she and I got along great.

Still, this would also be a good opportunity to work more with that stupid bird and hopefully get her to listen to me.

"Granola, Tackle!" I ordered.

Of course, she had to _Sand-Attack _the Weedle instead.

I felt a tapping on my shoulder, and whipped around to see Red, back from a battle, eyes glittering in amusement at my overreaction.

_Do you need help?_ He held up a familiar white notepad.

I shook my head, "I told you: _I_ have to do this."

_True, but I can still give you some pointers. You're not getting anywhere the way you're going._

I grumbled underneath my breath at the stubbornness of certain people, before sighing, shoulders slumping. I peered up at him. His dark eyes gazed back, steady and unyielding, holding neither arrogance nor judgment.

He just wanted to help. Ugh, nice guys. I can't get angry with them for the life of me.

"Okay, I'm stuck," I breathed out, sending him a small, resigned smile. "What am I doing wrong?"

Nodding at me in silent acknowledgment of my platter of humble pie, the boy glanced at Granola before scribbling away on his notepad. I really needed to learn sign language. That, or buy him a dry erase board or something.

_You are too harsh in the way you deal with her. You need to try and meet her halfway, rather than expect her to change her behavior completely._

I sighed.

_You are driving her into a corner, plus you haven't really done anything to earn her respect._

Ouch. The truth hurts.

I breathed out in a whoosh of air. "So, try and see things from her point of view, then?"

Red nodded, _She's probably used to having to fight for respect and territory. What you're doing, when you fight with her, is reminding her of all the wild Pokémon she's had to drive off. There's a reason she's a bit bigger than other Pidgey and that you found her alone. She's an alpha type, and was most likely kicked out of her flock for causing trouble with the other alpha._ He could write almost as fast as I could type. It made me jealous, since I was sure my average in _handwriting_ was something along the lines of ten words per minute or some other ridiculously low number. Well, if I wanted it to be legible, then it was. I could scribble away in caveman handwriting for maybe thirty to fifty words per minute, but…it'd be caveman handwriting. Not the nice, picture-perfect handwriting Red had. Oh well, at least it wasn't _calligraphy_. That'd be just creepy. Well, I'd tried learning it once, and actually hadn't been too bad at it, but I'd only taken one class before I had to drop it because of cost and time restraints.

Wait, what were we talking about again? Oh, yeah, alphas. Wait… "Alpha?"

Red shrugged. _I thought you would've known about it, what with your interest in Pokémon science. Professor Oak told me that there are multiple ranks within the different species. For instance, in the Pidgey line, females are usually slightly bigger than males, and are naturally stronger and more aggressive. Your Pidgey is even larger than normal female Pidgey._

Huh. Well, that was interesting.

Maybe I should've referenced that book I bought. It probably had information on the birds. Milder than Spearow, my butt! I probably would've been better off with one of those instead!

The scratching of a pen against paper shattered my thoughts. _You need to let her see that this isn't a hierarchy, but a team._

"But isn't the trainer the leader of the team?" I asked, confused.

Red nodded. _It's true, but there are many types of leaders, and you need her as much as she needs you. It's apparent that your leadership style isn't meshing well with Granola. She needs to learn obedience, true, but yelling at her all the time won't help._

Okay. So basically he was telling me not to lose my temper all the time, as that would just make things escalate between the two of us.

This I could do. …Right?

Well, maybe not, but I would have to try. If I ever wanted to train alpha Pokémon, which would be cool, I would have to start with Granola, who was an A-class…bird. Yep, bird. Alpha-class bird. I wasn't going to call her anything _else_ that started with a B, because that would have been _immature_, and I _wasn't_ immature.

Okay, so that was a lie.

But speaking of immaturity, I'd noticed something since coming here.

In my old world, I'd been immature, sure, but it'd never been so _easy_ to be so until I got here. I never really noticed it until now, because my observation skills suck, but now that I had, I couldn't let it go.

Why did I feel so much more…childish than I had before?

Wait, when my age changed, had my maturity level changed as well? I still retained all my knowledge and memories, but I felt like…well, I felt…different. I was more tempted to stick my tongue out and whine and jump and run around than I had before. Like I was some sort of Energizer Bunny. This journey would have been much harder in my older body.

So, what had happened to me? Not only was I now an eleven-year-old, but I also had the maturity of one? Plus…

I looked down.

My clothes had shrunk.

I hadn't thought of it much before, but they _had_. Even my sneakers.

It was…creepy. Well, at least it was convenient. Wearing clothes fitted for a teenager in a preteen's body would _not_ have been fun. It would have been embarrassing to arrive like that, and Green probably would have teased the heck out of me.

Loser. Did he have nothing better to do?

So…wait, what were we talking about again?

Red looked at me, like he was waiting for me to say something.

"Um…what were we talking about again?" I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck with my hand.

Shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose, the boy let out a breath of air.

"Okay, okay," I waved my arms. "I'll figure it out! So, alpha, teams, leader, deal with Granola—oh!"

Red shook his head, but this time his mouth curled up slightly and I grinned in return. I liked making people smile. Much better than making them frown, which I could never stand. I didn't like unhappy people. Besides, I tended to act like a bit more of a…well, pardon my French, but a _bitch_ around people that were jerks. Also people I didn't know very well. I'd sort of acted like that around Red and the Oaks when I first met them. Speaking of Oaks, I'd never met Daisy. Oh well, we'd return to Pallet Town _sometime_, right?

Anyway, why am I getting so off topic today? Must be the air in here. It was getting to me.

"So…" I started, determined not to let my brain run away with me again. "Try to not yell so much…um…yeah, be nicer and…stuff."

I think I held the world record for making Red shake his head. I wasn't sure if it was something to be proud of or not. Most likely not.

Well, no better time than the present. I turned to see Granola Gust (when did she learn that move?) away a Metapod (the Weedle from before was presumably defeated) and Butter Tackle a Caterpie to oblivion.

I cupped my hand over my mouth to call Granola like I usually did, but decided against it before I even put pressure on my voice box.

Instead, I strode over to where she flapped in midair, a bit winded after the attack.

"Hey, Granola," I said, voice soft. "May I talk to you?"

The Pidgey looked at me, and then nodded.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot," I explained, shifting said feet. "I'm sorry if I seemed like I was yelling at you all the time, but I just wanted you to _listen_ to me as your trainer. Still, I can't _ask_ you to respect me. _You're_ the one that decides that all on your own."

"Pidge…" the bird fluttered to land on a branch about level with my head.

"Heh, I'm not good at this kind of stuff, but I wanted to ask anyway: do you think you could _try_ and listen to me sometimes? You can tell me if I'm being a jerk, and I _promise_…I _will_ work hard to become a trainer worthy of you."

"Pidgey!" the bird chirped, and for the first time I could see respect in her eyes. She landed on my shoulder, and rubbed her head against my cheek. _Aww…_

I beamed from ear to ear, stroking Granola's glossy feathers with admiration. Laughing, I turned to look at Red, who returned a knowing smile.

"Saur!" Ivysaur cried, and I couldn't help the euphoria that enveloped me. All tension fled, and I felt a familiar temptation rise within me. Giving into it, I twirled once, and giggled.

It didn't matter that I probably looked five-years-old at that moment. For now, I was eleven, and I could act as childishly as I wanted to.

I realized that I felt both younger and happier than I had in years.

The thought tweaked my smile downwards, and I sighed. I couldn't forget…I needed to work hard and get out of here. This wasn't the time for laughter. I had to be strong to survive here and make it all the way to the top.

"Squirt…"

I glanced down to see Mock, sporting a worried look on his face. I couldn't help the smile that widened my own face.

Mock was such a mother hen sometimes. It was adorable.

"Don't worry, Mock," I grinned puckishly, and lifted him up, twirling him around as well. "I'll make sure to enjoy myself too. After all, I'm a kid. What do you expect?"

Still, inside, I couldn't help the concern that had kindled in my heart. It wouldn't leave, no matter how hard I tried to shoo it away. I knew…I couldn't let my guard down.

We resumed walking, and I slipped into thought while Red battled another bug catcher.

Why couldn't I just waltz my way through all this? No problem in just…having fun while I was at it? I mean, Red, being an amazing trainer, could protect me if anything—wait, no! I was _not_ relying on some…_boy_to protect me like a pansy! I was no Bella Swan!

Gawd, that girl gave me the creeps. Both Bella _and_ her actress. Though, to be truthful, _Bella_ gave me the creeps even more than the unemotional _actress_.

Back to the point! I wasn't going to be a, a Daphne! Or at least not cartoon Daphne. Maybe I'd be movie Daphne, and kick butt with awesome martial arts. Or _lack_ of. Okay, so I was only an orange belt, whatever! I'd shown a natural capacity for it when I'd learned. Maybe it was the Asian blood, haha sarcastic laughter.

Being a female Jackie Chan sounded kind of awesome, though. Like Beatrix Kiddo (though she wasn't Asian, but she was still pretty awesome) or something. Yeah! Why didn't I name myself Beatrix Kiddo instead of Catch? Well, the lack of a martial arts background may have had something to do with it… Whatever!

I would have to be prepared. That was it. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I wouldn't stand back and let Red deal with everything. Sure, he was awesome. Everybody knew that he was the Chuck Norris of the Pokéverse. But it didn't mean that I would suddenly turn into a damsel in distress when things turned sour.

I would need this attitude soon too, since we were almost to Pewter.

My concentration snapped itself back into place when I caught sight of a yellow figure deep in the brush. I glanced at it and scowled. It was that thief! I was sure of it!

The Pikachu looked at Red. I couldn't tell what it was thinking, but it seemed fascinated with the boy. Catching my gaze, it stuck its tongue out.

Pfft, like I'd let that get to me…

Okay, so I stuck my tongue out back. Whatever, don't judge me.

We got into a bit of a contest after that. I think the Pikachu won, doing some weird eyelid stretch thing with its paw that reminded me of anime Pikachu. Well, I wasn't going to ruin my eyes just to win a childish game. I did have _some_ limits.

Shaking my head at the electric mouse, I turned away to watch Red.

He had just finished, his Ivysaur Tackling a Metapod into a tree.

After the boy handed over the money, I waited, and then we both resumed our walk through this maze.

I stopped to read a wooden trainer tips sign, which said something about not entering grassy areas with weak Pokémon (I _always_ read the signs. I can't help but be amazed at seeing _English_ here in _Japan_) while Red picked up a Potion.

We'd both sighed in relief at the sight of the gateway to Pewter when _another_ bug catcher decided to make himself known.

"Hey, wait up! What's the hurry? Why the rush?"

I turned to glare at the pest, "Look, we're tired. We've been here since _morning_ and we _don't_ want to deal with you."

Red shook his head at me as the mature one of this duo and got into another battle stance. Wow. He sure loved battling.

Sighing impatiently, I stood back to watch.

"Go, Weedle!" the boy shouted.

I scanned the Pokémon idly with my Pokédex. Hm. Level nine. Well, at least it was stronger than the rest of the trained Pokémon we'd come across, though most likely it was the boy's only Pokémon.

Normally, if I were playing the games I'd feel contempt at the weaklings that littered the forest.

However, here I understood that these guys cared less about battling and more about…collecting. Kind of like me. In a way, we were kindred spirits, though my…_collecting_ wasn't limited to bug Pokémon but to Pokémon in general…_every_ Pokémon in general.

I glanced down when my foot knocked against something. Picking it up, I noticed it was a Potion. Hm. It had to be of those _hidden_ items.

"Weedle, String Shot!" the bug catcher shouted, and I glanced up, focusing on the battle.

Red nodded at his Ivysaur, and the Pokémon rushed forward, not managing to avoid the sticky webbing shot from the bug but nevertheless crashing into his opponent. Both Pokémon went rolling, and even the Weedle got a bit tangled up from the string.

Taking advantage of the worm's distraction, the frogasaur Vine Whipped the bug into a tree. He seemed to like to do that. Poor trees.

"I give! You're good at this!" the boy laughed, smiling up at Red in admiration. "Hey, do you know what? Sometimes you find items on the ground. I'm looking for the stuff I dropped. Can you help me?"

"Like this?" I asked, waving the Potion in his face.

"Yeah, that! Well, you can keep it. But thanks!"

"No problem…" I replied, wondering why he just _let_ me have his Potion. Oh well. Finders keepers, I guess.

After getting paid by the boy (I couldn't help but think of secret drug deals whenever I saw these guys pass Red some money) we approached the gateway, only to start in surprise.

There was a certain familiar…_someone _blocking our exit out.

"Piiiiiikaaa!"

* * *

**Many thanks to Searching For Enadi, SmileRen, TammyHybrid21, nostalgicCyanide, TheKawaiiStar21, and kenegi for reviewing! :D**


	15. Challenging Mice and Mental Breakdowns

Chapter 15: Challenging Mice and Mental Breakdowns

Now, normally, I would've been ecstatic. I mean, this was Pikachu. And I was confident that this wasn't just any ordinary Pikachu. No, it was _the_ Pikachu. Red's signature Pokémon, his strongest and closest.

Why did I think that? Call it a hunch.

Anyway, back to the point. Normally I would've been jumping for joy and probably would have been tempted to hug the little critter and crap like that.

However, you're forgetting something.

This was the same Pikachu that had caused a mad chase through the woods. From looking at the sky, I figured it was probably around late afternoon to early evening (I really missed my wristwatch). It'd been a long day, what with battling Green (and experiencing some weird…effect), training, and trekking through a forest that was a veritable maze. The one time we stopped for a break was the same time that we'd gotten rudely interrupted by a certain mouse. So really, we hadn't had much of a break at all since the start of our day.

And the cause of that? A certain mouse that was between us and the exit. The exit that would lead to Pewter, and hopefully another break of sorts.

I didn't like it when anybody came between me and my rest stops, cute and cuddly though that interferer may be.

Anyway, here we were, in some sort of faceoff, and I wasn't in the best of moods. Red had shifted into a ready stance. And in case you were wondering what that was, it was when you had both legs aligned with your shoulders, knees bent to keep circulation, and the weight balanced on the balls of your feet. It varied somewhat between sports. With soccer (or association football for most of the world) goalies you crouched with the hands outspread, in martial arts you stood up straight with fisted hands lowered by your stomach, and in tennis you crouched and gripped a tennis racket aligned with your stomach. Generally, in every sport, the purpose of the ready stance was that it was a…well, a _ready stance_. From that position, you could shift to many others, and you were prepared for whatever moves your opponent made.

I called it the ready stance because I'd first come across it in martial arts, where they called it that. In more mainstream sports (like tennis, soccer, etc.) it was more often referred to as the "ready position."

Yes, I was a science nerd that knew about sports. Le gasp! Clique crossing! So sue me. Cliques were thoughtless byproducts of ignorance and immaturity anyway.

Anyway, here, in the Pokémon world, the ready stance seemed to be very similar. Legs spread apart, but not too much. Knees bent, hands lowered to the belt line, where one could easily grab a Poké Ball from either one's pocket or the bag pocket (which, for both Red's backpack and my satchel, was the right pocket, which helped since I was right-handed).

I don't know how Red could keep his Poké Balls apart, because I had the darndest time separating the filled Poké Balls from the empty ones, even with the marker images (which were starting to fade). Eventually, I just put the filled ones, small-sized, in my pocket.

Maybe I should buy a belt or something. Actually, in the Pokémon Mart I saw a cool bracelet with six Poké Ball slots for magnetic attachment. Maybe I'd buy that instead. It'd be super-convenient.

"Ivy!"

I glanced up, seeing Red's Pokémon shift into a ready stance like his trainer had. Well, as much as a quadruped can, anyway.

"Pika!" the mouse copied it, sparks flying around apple-red cheeks.

I felt like shouting my name too, but decided against it, instead scanning the Pikachu. It looked healthy and strong, and I noticed its tail was curled around a small yellow ball. Was that what I thought it was?

While I mused, the battle started.

"Chu!" while Ivysaur had hung back, the weight of experience guiding his move, the Pikachu rushed forward, taking advantage of its opponent's defensive stance to go on an all-out offensive.

Since I was pretty sure that the Pikachu was at most level five or so, and I knew Ivysaur was at least level sixteen, I was a bit worried that the mouse would accidentally faint. It sure had guts though, going up against an opponent that was so much stronger.

Using its speed to get close, the Pokémon zapped the frogasaur before the Pokémon could react.

That was one thing that the Pikachu had going for it. Speed. Ivysaur was a bit slower and bulkier, as most grass types were, and thus couldn't move fast enough to evade the speedy mouse.

However, the frogasaur also packed quite a punch in power.

Red watched the battle, eyes sharp and narrow, clearly in concentration. His Pokémon reflected him, eyeing the Pikachu warily. I had a feeling (just a feeling mind, but it was still there) that both trainer and Pokémon wanted to catch the Pikachu, so both were being extra careful.

"Saur!" Ivysaur launched a cloud of purple spores at the yellow critter. Said critter evaded them easily, jumping to the top of a tree and sending another ThunderShock Ivysaur's way.

This might be harder than first thought.

Ivysaur Tackled the tree, not holding back this time.

"Piiika…" the Pokémon cried, desperately clinging to the wobbling branch.

Ivysaur huffed for breath, and backed up for another Tackle, but the Pikachu jumped from the branch onto the ground, facing the frogasaur with narrowed eyes.

Angry, the Pokémon stepped forward, and despite his advantage in level, Ivysaur backed up, intimidated.

"Piiika!" the Pokémon cried, and sped away, zipping between bushes and trunks.

"Ivy!" Ivysaur charged after it, leaving both Red and me behind.

I returned my Pokémon, figuring Red would follow the two, and I wasn't disappointed. Running after the boy, I silently cursed the yellow mouse that was the cause of all this.

By the time I caught up, Ivysaur was looking the worse for wear, but his opponent was out-of-breath and perched on the top of a stately oak. We'd emerged in a small clearing of sorts.

Ivysaur glared up at the electric mouse and his vines snaked up the trunk toward the Pikachu.

However, the Pikachu seemed to realize what was going on, and leapt to another tree, sending a ThunderShock at the vines. The current traveled up the vines to the Seed Pokémon, and I winced at the cry of pain he emitted.

Despite his obviously high level, Ivysaur had been battling all day, with no replacement. Sure he'd had a break, but it hadn't been much of one. I could tell that he was, frankly, exhausted, and this Pikachu seemed to be at full strength.

So what should have been an easy, predictable match had turned on its face.

I wondered, briefly, if the Pikachu had planned it that way.

Said yellow mouse leapt out of the way of another cloud of spores, but unlike the glittering violet of before, this consisted of sparkling green dust.

Sleep Powder. Good idea: incapacitate the Pikachu, and take the time to finish it off or capture it.

That might have worked with an ordinary Pikachu.

But I could tell. This was no ordinary Pikachu.

Nope. This was the brat that kept getting in our way.

Growling in annoyance, I leaned against a nearby tree trunk, fighting back the yawn threatening to split my face.

Red clenched his jaw, staring intently at the battlefield. It seemed that he'd come to the same conclusions.

And so had Ivysaur, apparently. The frogasaur had stopped his helter-skelter strategy, and instead stayed in one place underneath a tree at the edge of a clearing.

Releasing a cloud of green spores, he scattered them around in the air surrounding himself, so thickly that I couldn't even make out an outline of the frogasaur.

The yellow mouse, cautious, aimed a ThunderShock at the cloud, but when nothing happened, it approached with hesitant steps.

The cloud hadn't shown any sign of dying down, and had grown to enshroud the whole tree.

Sensing a trap, the Pikachu started to retreat, but it was too late. A vine snapped out from the cloud and wrapped around the mouse, dragging it into the midst of the green veil.

When the spores cleared, the Pikachu was asleep, and Ivysaur stood there, clearly exhausted but triumphant.

Smiling at his Pokémon, Red withdrew his last Poké Ball and threw it at the sleeping rodent.

I couldn't tear my gaze away, watching the arc of the ball and the eventual plummet as it hit the Pikachu, and with a purple flash the Pokémon disappeared.

When I saw the telltale yellow stars of a successful capture, I couldn't help but snicker at the electric fiend's fate, and turned to Red.

"Well, looks like you managed to capture Robin Goodfellow," I congratulated, "Good job, though I do pity you."

Raising a brow at me, the boy shook his head, probably starting to get used to my weirdness, and strode over to where the ball was, stooping down and lifting it, gazing at it with an unreadable expression.

I briefly wondered when my random references to nonsensical constructs would finally culminate in accusations of dimension traveling. Either that, or being dragged off to the loony bin.

But I couldn't really bring myself to care at the moment.

Because, after seeing Red get Pikachu, most of my suspension of disbelief had evaporated. I felt like I'd just been slapped from a dream or something of the sort.

I mean, I'd just watched Red capture his _Pikachu_! It was as if I'd been dragged into the midst of a famous movie set and was privy to the innermost _magical_ _moments_ that occurred there.

If I didn't go insane first.

Here I was, in the Pokémon world. What miserable sap had decided _that_ would ever be a good idea? This whole thing seemed utterly surreal. Sure, Professor Oak had given me all these explanations, but what did any of them prove? And I was stuck in my eleven-year-old body, for land sakes! Why was I not kicking and screaming somewhere?

"So," I started, aggressively shoving out all thoughts of mental breakdown to the farthest, darkest depths of my mind A.K.A. unconscious forgetfulness. "Are you going to keep that Pikachu?" Better to treat all of this seriously, instead of going into random meltdowns because I was trapped in the godforsaken _Pokémon_ _world_!

Okay, shoving thoughts away? Not very successful…

Red gazed at me for a long moment, before slowly nodding.

Maybe I'd made my shoving too obvious?

Then again, it was _Red_. He seemed to be this world's Sherlock Holmes (I had very little faith in Looker). No doubt he'd already figured out quite a few things about me. Least of all being the fact I was probably going insane.

How had I managed so well so far?

Maybe, being an eleven-year-old again, I also had the same capacity to adjust to utterly insane situations that would result in exploding brains for my eighteen-year-old self.

It was at that moment that everything went to pot.

Well, not literally pot, since if we're talking about the kettle kind, and I didn't see anything like the Black Cauldron or anything, it wouldn't make sense. And for the other kinds, well, none of us were going to the bathroom, so chamber pots were out of the sort, none of us took drugs (at least, I didn't think Red did), and we weren't gambling either.

And I was rambling.

Sorry, but seeing everything warp in front of your eyes and go insane kind of does that to you.

It was as if I was looking at the world through some sort of funhouse mirror. Everything was distorted and crazy, and vaguely, a voice in the back of my head said: _I think the craziness in your head has infected everything else._

I wanted to give a biting retort that reeked with sarcasm and wit, but unfortunately, that would be an internal confirmation of said craziness.

The external confirmation was already happening, so I might as well attempt to cling to the last desperate dregs of lucidity while I could.

"Um…Red?" I spoke, voice tiny, but it warped along with the rest of the world to come out sounding like T-Pain.

In the midst of all this insanity, Red stood there, warping and bending. I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing was happening to me.

He was still looking my way, though it seemed he'd frozen somehow, but that wasn't what made me pause.

Because his outfit had changed, once again, to the clothes I was oh-so familiar with.

I was looking at "Old Red," "Original Red," or whatever people decided to call him.

Spiky black hair poking out from underneath the signature red-and-white cap. I noticed that his fashion sense seemed to have improved (dark blue looked much better with red than robin's egg blue), though once again he seemed to look younger. Not like the Red fan art where he appeared to be some red-eyed Lelouch clone with a poker face. No, he looked just like how the original artwork depicted him, and that included the fiery temper lurking beneath boyishly angry black eyes.

And then the ripples ended, and everything was back to normal. Or at least as normal as this place could _be_.

I stumbled backward against a tree, and couldn't help but scan Red for any discrepancies.

Brown hair: check. Brown eyes: check. Poké Ball cap design: check. Intense expressionless face: check. Bad fashion sense: check.

Shaking my head, I looked downward, realizing as I did so that I was hyperventilating. My body slumped as if I were a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Although my eyes were glued to the ground, they couldn't help but spot a pair of red-and-black shoes approaching. Said optics followed them with fascination. The fact they weren't red-and-white was a good sign.

Soon a notebook was shoved into my face, and I backed up, blinking.

_Are you all right? _Four simple words, with a supposedly simple answer.

Was I? Somehow, I doubted it.

Still shaking, I laughed a bit breathlessly, hysterics creeping at the edges of my tones. "Red, did you…_see_ that?"

A pause. A pregnant pause that was so pregnant it was probably giving birth to twins.

_No… What are you talking about?_

I thought so.

I started to convulse even harder, and then crouched over, laughter ripping itself from my throat. Soon the laughter turned into sobs, and I hugged myself before collapsing to the loamy forest floor.

What was going on? Was I really going insane, or was something else going on? This whole situation was insane already. I couldn't help but wish for somebody to slap me awake, and tell me I was back in bed and this was all just a bad dream.

I vaguely noticed that Red was just standing there stupidly. For all of his knowledge on how to deal with Pokémon, he seemed to have no clue on how to deal with hysterical human beings.

I heard the familiar clashing slash hissing sound of a Poké Ball opening, and soon Mock was there, making concerned noises and rubbing my back.

This was the last straw. The sobs erupted even harder and faster, and soon were interspersed with hiccups and snot. I just wanted to curl up and dream that I wasn't here, but the presence of my ever-faithful Squirtle denied that possibility from ever happening.

I noticed that Red had disappeared. He probably thought I was completely crazy. Good for him.

Eventually, after a long while, I calmed down, able to think in a more or less sensible fashion.

"Okay…I think I'm able to stand…maybe," I told the turtle, picking myself up from the floor to stagger against the tree from before.

_Now to explain to Red that I don't belong in the loony bin. Darn, if I were older, I could just cop it off to that time of month. I never thought I'd wish _those_ times back again. Scratch that, I don't._

Sighing, I realized that I didn't _want_ to deal with Red. I needed to talk to Professor Oak instead. That man owed me a few explanations.

_I need to find a way to get out of here as soon as possible. The longer I stay in this ridiculous universe, the more likely I'll go barmy. Great, I'm starting to talk like one of those barmy Brits now._

Wiping my eyes and nose as best I could, I vowed to wash my face later on. I probably looked like crap, but that never stopped me before, and it wouldn't now.

Stomping off from the clearing, I looked down, and sighed for the umpteenth time. _I need to get a grip on myself, get my head screwed on straight. No more hysterics, no more crying, no more wishing to be back home. A strong person doesn't do that, and I _have_ to be strong. Otherwise…_

Otherwise I'd get eaten. Literally or figuratively, take your choice.

I was starting to hate this place.

As I walked, trying to remember the path back to the exit, I felt the slightest trickling of hurt that Red had abandoned me, but I couldn't really blame him in the end. I could not expect anybody to know how to deal with, much less _comfort_ a hysterical woman. People in general seemed to be impotent when it came to the finer arts of comforting.

Sighing, I shook the acerbic thoughts away. It wasn't his fault that all this…shit was happening to me. It wasn't his fault that I'd been dragged into a place I'd been forced to treat as real or suffer the very possible consequences of being eaten alive from a rabid Pokémon or something else. It wasn't his fault that I was now seeing things that could be real or the products of an overactive, crazed imagination. Though I'd never hallucinated before. Still, falling into this world could have cracked me. Who knows?

"It's early evening, but I'm already tired," I sighed, sending Butter against yet another Weedle. She defeated it with ease, and my eyes widened at the next incident.

Butter had started to glow a familiar white, and I watched in fascination as a slit opened up in her body that glowed even brighter. Eyes riveted, I couldn't look away as a graceful winged form emerged from the now empty shell.

"Free!" the now part-flying Pokémon cried. With that one word, she almost sounded _human_, declaring her freedom for the world to hear.

I watched her test her wings and flutter between Mock and me (the rest were in their Poké Balls), emitting joyful cries all the while. She looked so blessedly _happy_. It was…nice.

Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all.

And when I reached the gateway to meet Red, who although nervous, didn't shrink away from me or twitch at my approach, I smiled.

It wasn't a very strong smile, and it quivered at the edges, but for now…it was enough.

And really, for now, it would have to do.

* * *

**Thanks to colbub, SmileRen, nostalgicCyanide, kenegi, Fallen Vanguard, Searching For Enadi, PikaMewGirl, Pinkypink342, TheKawaiiStar21, TammyHybrid21, and Guests for reviewing! :D**

I just want to say, I have nothing against British people. I love them! They're so polite and kind, not cold or snobby at all like I'd thought they'd be. Actually, I've noticed that we Americans are colder than Brits (from my experience).

For those that were glad that Catch was adjusting so well to the Pokémon world...well, that was mostly her walking in a dream. Red capturing his Pikachu was the big wake up call for her.

In the end, nobody can adjust that well to something like what she's been through in just a couple of days without at least one breakdown. It's probably going to take a while for her to take both the Pokémon world seriously (though she knows she has to) and completely fit in. She's nowhere near wanting to stay in the Pokémon world, though it might happen in the future, who knows. Her relationships with her Pokémon have helped, but there's just too much going on right now for her to completely relax and enjoy herself.

I'm finding it hard to juggle between wanting to make things realistic and making this story funny. Hmm...maybe I'm just not cut out for humor. *le sigh*

I'm glad that you guys seem to like this story so far though, humor or not! :D


	16. Botany Lessons and Email Messages

Chapter 16: Botany Lessons and Email Messages

We entered Pewter, and my dark cloud from earlier started to dissolve in the face of this place.

It was kind of pathetic, but I could see the whole of the town from here. Six buildings. One more than Viridian. Oh well, at least we were getting somewhere.

We walked into the Pokémon Center, and I waited for Red to finish his business patiently before approaching the counter myself.

"Welcome to the Pokémon Center! Would you like me to heal your Pokémon back to perfect health?" the nurse chirped with all the energy of a robot alien. Sending her a halfhearted smile, I nodded and pulled out my Poké Balls, giving them to her and interrupting her next phrase of: "Okay, I'll take your Pokémon for a few seconds."

"Um, could you give me your Trainer ID as well, please?"

Oh, yeah. Passing her my ID, I waited for her to get done scanning it. Afterward, she inserted the Poké Balls in the machine slots. After they were done healing, she handed them to me and I nodded at her, leaving before she could finish her spiel.

I know it was rude, but I was past the point of caring.

"Hey, Red," I started, glancing to the side. The boy leaned against the wall, waiting patiently. He was as unreadable as ever, but when he nodded to me he didn't meet my eyes.

Ouch.

"What do you want to do? I need to talk to Professor Oak," I forced a smile to my face.

The boy took out his notepad. The scratching of his pen sounded loud in our silent little corner. _I will probably start training with Pikachu. Ivysaur is too overworked to do much more today._

I shook my head. Training. That boy had a one-track mind.

But he was right about Ivysaur. The Pokémon Center, although it healed injuries, did nothing to take away the natural exhaustion Pokémon felt. Sure, it could rejuvenate them, but after a while, time started to take its toll. I doubted, after the workout he'd had today, that Ivysaur would do much more than eat and sleep.

And was it insane that I was already getting used to this wacko universe?

"All right," I said. One-track mind or not, this worked out good. I had neither the energy nor the drive to be social and keep up a cheerful façade. "Well, I'm going to explore Pewter, then. Meet up here?"

A nod. I marched over to the PC, barely noticing Red striding up to the counter and ordering room key cards. Shooing away some girl babbling about trainer profiles, I clicked a button on the computer to turn off sleep mode.

"Time for some answers," I mumbled to myself, and punched in my username and password. It also required one's trainer ID, and I sighed. Typing in two login requirements was bad enough, but three was plain annoying. I was just glad they didn't require a CAPTCHA as well.

There were generally three options to choose from once one logged in. Someone's PC, Catch's PC, and Log off. However, with my Pokédex, and it being connected to my trainer ID, I had a fourth option: Prof. Oak's PC. I could only access this once I synced my Pokédex to the PC, so, trainer ID or not, I would have to have my Pokédex to connect to that. It made me wonder, though, if most people didn't know about Prof. Oak's PC option, what more was there to the PCs that even _I _didn't know?

Bill was starting to look a whole lot more sinister now.

Shaking my head, I slapped myself. I was thinking of this as a _video_ _game_ again. But it wasn't. This was the real world. It might not even be Bill who controlled the PCs.

_ Accessed the Pokédex Rating System… Would you like to have your Pokédex rated?_

I clicked yes.

_ The amount of progress you've made on your Pokédex is: 14 Pokémon seen and 7 Pokémon owned._

_Prof. Oak's rating: You still have lots to do. Go into every patch of grass you see and look for Pokémon!_

I sighed. A prerecorded message. Great.

Spotting a button in the corner with the word: "mail" on it, I clicked it, and typed in my message.

_Hello, Professor,_

_ This is Catch. Red and I reached Pewter City with little to no problems or delays. However, a few things of note came up that I wanted to talk to you about…_

I started with the whole Green incident and stopped at Viridian Forest, describing the events in detail as far as I could remember.

_And I'm not sure if I'm just going mad or if any of this has something to do with being a "world traveler." As I've never experienced hallucinations of any sort before my arrival (though I must confess I did wonder if all the events after my coming have been the products of a deluded mind) I must conclude that this has something to do with the latter._

_ I have a few guesses as to why this is happening, but nothing concrete. If you have any notion of why this is all happening, I would appreciate it if you could email me back with any information you have on this._

_ Regards,_

_ Catch_

I sighed and logged off. Professor Oak was a busy man. It was unlikely he'd either catch my email or be able to reply until later. As much as I wanted to hang around the Center, I'd never been good at waiting, and plus, other people might have to use the PC. I might as well explore Pewter City.

After washing my face in my room (the nurse had given me my key card, since Red had left by then), I went downstairs and exited the Center. Yawning, I felt more exhausted than ever. Still, it was never good to waste time, and I might as well use what's left of the daylight to sightsee.

I released my Pokémon on habit, and decided that maybe exploration would help to clear my head.

Wandering willy-nilly through the town, I didn't enter the two houses that were here. I wasn't brave or disrespectful enough to just go barging in on my own. Instead, I approached the garden that was just to the left of the Center, the tension leaving my body at the peaceful breeze and fragrant scent of flowers.

"Free!" Butter cried, and I smiled as I gazed upward, watching both her and Granola play at ease.

I entered, noticing the neat way the garden stood on a raised hill with a slope leading upward for walking, like one of those Chinese rice fields. I stiffened when I heard shouting.

"Out, out! I don't need any Pokémon in my garden!"

Raising a brow, I approached a teenage boy garbed in a sunhat who seemed to have taken exception to my Pokémon. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, are they yours? Sorry, I thought they were wild Pokémon," he grinned and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Um…" I turned to look at them. A Squirtle, a Rattata, a Pidgey, a Mankey, and a Butterfree. All together. I know most of them were from around the area, but I doubted they'd be around _each other_ if they _were_ wild.

"They look nice. Your Pokémon, I mean," he smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. He seemed like a sweet enough person. "Oh, where are my manners? My name's Botan."

"Botan? That's a nice name," in this peaceful setting, the last of my bad mood lifted. "Mine's Catch. This is," I gestured to my Pokémon, "Mock, that one over there is Colby, up there's Granola, this here's Olive, and last is Butter- ah!" I glanced between the boy and Butter, who was currently a bit _too_ interested in the flowers.

"Oh, that's okay. The only reason I don't want wild Pokémon around is because they dig up the flowers. But your Pokémon seem fine, and Butterfree are always welcome."

"Ah, thanks," I said, and both of us watched my Pokémon play while talking. The shadows lengthened, and for some reason, I didn't feel the usual tension from socializing with strangers. Botan had a very extensive knowledge on flowers and gardening in general. Plus, some of what he said applied to grass Pokémon as well. It turned out that there were multiple subspecies of grass-type Pokémon. For instance, Red's Ivysaur was classified under the parasitic partial plant category. It made that red bud on his back seem a whole lot more sinister.

"Also," the boy said, "Your friend might have to let his Pokémon relax in the sun more. And if it evolves into a Venusaur, then it will definitely need it. The Bulbasaur line spend less time moving around as they evolve, so you'll have to take that into consideration."

"Wow, thanks. You really know a lot," I smiled.

He laughed. "Not really. It's just useful to know about grass-types if you specialize in botany, that's all."

"I see… Well, I'm glad I met you, anyway. There's so much I don't know about Pokémon," I sighed. "It's all kind of new to me…"

"Really?" he asked. "Strange… I mean, them being plentiful and all. Plus, you're a trainer, aren't you?"

"Eheh, well, I just never gave much thought to them, you know?" I shrugged. "I never went to a trainer school of any sort, and my family hardly knew much about Pokémon themselves." It was all true, even if I wasn't being entirely forthright.

"Hmm, well, you should look into the 'For Nitwits' series. The name may be off-putting, but they're handy sources that break information down helpfully for beginners."

"Ah, I already have two. But I haven't gotten the chance to really look through them yet."

"You should," he nodded, "It'll help a lot and prevent mistakes. My older sister Erika's a trainer, and she's good now, but she started out making plenty of mistakes," he shook his head.

I started, and looked at Botan more closely. Um…is your sister…a grass-type specialist as well?"

"Oh, yeah. She's more into flower _arranging_, while I prefer gardening in general," he chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. He couldn't be more different from the graceful Erika, with his summer tan and sweat-soaked Western clothes. But his black hair, high cheekbones, and perfect posture, features I hadn't paid any mind to, reminded me of the graceful Gym Leader.

_No, real person here. She may not be at all like how you pictured her. _"I see. Does she also happen to live in Celadon?"

He stilled, and then smiled, "I thought you said you didn't know much."

"I know _that_ much," I grinned. "But I didn't expect that. You live so far away."

"Well, I like it here. Much more peaceful and quiet than Celadon. That city's so loud I can't hear myself think."

I chuckled, comparing this rural boy before me to the elegant aristocrat that was his sister. Although his appearance and posture meshed with a traditional Japanese lord, he also fit his role here as a peaceful gardener. The dichotomy worked for him somehow.

We talked for a while more, and when twilight came I finally left, waving goodbye. I apologized for keeping him, but he just laughed it off and wished me luck with my journey.

When I returned to the Center, I was confused. Not only had that boy been good-looking, he'd also been extremely nice, plus nearer my original age. Usually that was enough to make my hormones rise and at least take _notice_.

But there'd been nothing of the sort, and it grounded me. If this were a hallucination, then that could explain away the changed appearance. But the lack of attraction was the definite clincher.

I was officially eleven-years-old again, with all the things that entailed. I wasn't just an eighteen-year-old in an eleven-year-old body, but an actual eleven-year-old.

This would take some adjusting.

Then again, hadn't I already? I was getting used to walking around in a younger and smaller body, and it'd been easier than I'd thought to act childishly and blend in. I was starting to wonder if maybe the memories of being older were just dreams, and _this_ was the reality. It was that easy to adjust.

But I _knew_ that I didn't belong here. I _knew_ that I had been eighteen. I had all these _memories_.

Memories of an older me, one who thought differently, one who seemed almost alien in the way she handled herself and various situations. I knew that the older me wouldn't approve of my arguments with Green, and would have been able to deal with Granola. She would have known when to push and when to pull, and would have had a better reign on her temper.

But we were the same person- right?

I sighed. Maybe, to help prevent identity crises and such, it would be better to just act like how I felt best now. Better not to worry too much about "what would older me do?" and concentrate more on getting out of here and going back home.

But if there's one thing my conversation with Botan had done, it made me realize that there was much left for me to learn about this world and its inhabitants.

I'd always been fascinated with culture, briefly considering going into anthropology or sociology for a while. However, family disapproval and lack of financial security had set me off it.

That didn't mean that the interest just disappeared, though.

The idea of learning about a new culture, one that had so much more interaction between humans and other creatures than what my old society had, was a definite draw. It was the reason I'd loved reading Dinotopia, perusing the pages eagerly and bowing in awe to the enormous creativity James Gurney possessed. To create a whole new _culture_, it was fascinating.

And it seemed, here, life had evolved similarly, with people and Pokémon learning to live together and adapt. Cities were much less encroaching and more symbiotic with nature, as places like Fortree proved. Of course, such a thing might be a necessity, what with Pokémon being far more powerful than animals, providing much more incentive for environmentalism.

A sad, but true fact. I was sure that if Pokémon had not been as powerful as they were, or as valued, then life would have gone on to be like it was back home. Instead, the air was much cleaner, and Pokémon wandered everywhere, being treated with respect on par with human beings. Respect for power. I could understand that. Moves like Hyper Beam were nothing to sneeze at.

If that was the case, though, why were humans not cowering away in small pockets of civilization, then?

I smacked myself in the head. Oh, right. Poké Balls.

It made me wonder what life would have been like here _before_ the advent of Apricorns.

I shuddered.

"I hate this…" I muttered, "I'm starting to get interested in this place. And that's _bad_."

I returned to the Pokémon Center with those thoughts in my mind. It would do me better to adjust, but I wasn't sure if getting interested was the smartest idea.

After logging in, I clicked "Prof. Oak's PC" and smiled in relief when I saw the (1) for new message.

_Dear Catch,_

_The events you described are unprecedented as far as I know, but as you are the first "world traveler," as you say, to arrive here, there may be some things we haven't heard of. This is all very new for me, but I will contact Tajiri and Miyamoto. Hopefully they will have some insight as to why this is happening to you. As it sometimes takes days, if not weeks, to get ahold of them, I fear I may not be able to give you an answer anytime soon._

_ I doubt you're hallucinating however, as it seems more likely that this has something to do with your "unique method of arrival" here in Pallet Town._

_ Also, don't forget to complete your Pokédex! You still have lots to do. Go into every patch of grass you see and look for Pokémon!_

_ Sincerely,_

_ Professor Samuel Oak_

Cue facepalm.

Okay, so I knew three things.

One. Oak had nothing for me.

Two. It might be weeks before he _did_ have something for me.

Three. I was on my own until then.

Great.

Also, I was starting to actually get _interested_ in this place. Which might hamper me _leaving_ this place. Besides, even if I wanted to stay, who knew what would happen after the loop ended, anyway? It'd be better to be prepared for it by completing the National Pokédex and being there when Red visited the Sevii Islands.

_Speaking of Red, I had better go and find him_. Maybe watching something brutally beat up something else would remind me _why_ I wanted to leave.

I walked down to Route 2, where I suspected Red was training Pikachu. I was right. I usually am. Not that it's ever really helped me in life. Oh well.

He seemed to be having trouble. I walked up the yellow gravel path. It was noisier to walk on than the cobblestone from the city, drawing both Red and Pikachu's attention.

And there was that stupid tall grass again. Why it had to look so perfectly squared off from the rest of its surroundings I didn't know. It just made this ridiculous world look even _more_ ridiculous.

And I was stuck here. Great.

Pikachu didn't seem to want to listen to Red at all, which, frankly, didn't surprise me. This was _Pikachu_. In all three media: game, anime, and manga, it took a while for him to warm up to his trainer. He kind of reminded me of Granola, since they both had that sassy "I do what I want" attitude.

I smiled smugly. Finally, _Red_ could see what it felt like to deal with somebody that _refused_ to listen to you.

Though it was kind of weird timing. Finally getting one Pokémon to listen, only to have another start up.

I resolved never to leave either Pokémon alone together. They'd cause havoc.

"So…any progress?" I asked.

Red sighed, and shook his head. I noticed he was still avoiding my eyes, and sighed myself. Maybe I shouldn't have fallen apart right next to him. Now _I_ was starting to feel awkward. Talking with Botan had helped to calm my nerves, but now they started screaming at me to _leave_, because awkward silences are never fun. Red being mute only made it _worse_.

I really wanted to ask what was wrong, but I had a sinking feeling that I knew the answer.

He'd gotten sick of being around a crazy human being like me that started crying for no reason (or so he thought). And to be honest, I didn't blame him one whit.

Now wasn't the time to be sensitive and _care_ about stupid things like that.

So it didn't matter at all that he thought me likely insane and didn't want to be around me. He was probably being too nice to ask me to leave.

Why was I getting depressed over something like this? I didn't start traveling with Red because I _liked his company_, but because I _had to_.

I could deal with this.

I watched Red train Pikachu, and I couldn't help the jerk in my chest. Clenching my jaw, I forced myself not to be a crybaby like I usually was. It wouldn't help me here. I was too sensitive sometimes. And maybe he _wasn't_ disgusted with me. Maybe it was something else, like…like…

Okay, I couldn't think of anything else.

Stupid me. I didn't realize it, but I let myself get _attached_. Just enough for it to hurt. I was always being stupid like that.

It's always the nice ones.

Immediately after thinking that, I felt bad. I knew that Red wasn't one of those _fake _nice people, but was _genuinely_ nice. That was why he hadn't said his mind and asked me to leave.

In the end, I was just a burden Professor Oak had forced on him. He'd even had to pay for me. I was such a _weakling_.

By sunset, I was sick of this. Hopping off the nearby wooden fence I'd sat on to watch, I tramped back through Pewter City, past a babbling boy who protested at my lack of Badges, and entered Route 3. I needed to pay off my debt no matter what. Then I could leave, and Red could go at it alone. Sure, it'd be a lot harder to complete the Pokédex without Red, but if he didn't want to travel with me, who was I to force him? By then I'd be strong enough to travel solo. I wouldn't have to worry about keeping up with him, or Team Rocket, or anything. I'd be free.

"Excuse me! You looked at me, didn't you?" a young girl asked. I decided not to give her a label. She was a real person, more than just a "Lass."

"Yes, I did. Care to battle?"

* * *

**Disclaimer: I bow to the amazing Professor Wormwood for the information on the Bulbasaur line and grass Pokémon in general.**

And I was always stupidly fascinated by that guy spraying Repel in the Pewter City garden to keep out wild Pokémon in a city. I mean, that just mind-boggles me. So without people like him, would cities be overrun with wild Pokémon? It's worth a thought...

******Thanks TammyHybrid21, nostalgicCyanide, kenegi, SmileRen, PinkyPink342, Nintendofreak3, Yoshtar, ZombieSlayers, and Searching for Enadi for reviewing! :D**


	17. First Battles and Unpleasant Realization

**Thanks to SmileRen, colbub, nostalgicCyanide, kenegi, Fallen Vanguard, Totodileawesomeness, TheKawaiiStar21, Lord Cow-Cow, Searching For Enadi, ZombieSlayers, and a Guest for reviewing! :D**

For being the 100th reviewer, I dedicate this chapter to Lord Cow-Cow.

The chapter title is officially what it says below, but in the top right corner in the drop-down menu, there's a character limit. But if you ever wonder what the correct chapter title is, it's always the one within the writing itself. I thought of changing "realizations" to "revelations" to shorten the title but decided against it, since the meaning's a bit different. And I'm babbling again. Anyway, enjoy the chapter. :)

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Chapter 17: First Battles and Unpleasant Realizations

"I'll start!" the girl cried, "Pidgey, go!"

In the dark atmosphere, I could barely make out details. Just enough to spy the shadowy outlines of the bird, but it was enough.

My opponent was a Pidgey. I had a Squirtle, Rattata, Pidgey, Mankey, and a Butterfree. All were level ten, and if I remembered rightly, most of the Pokémon trainers in this route had Pokémon around that level, give or take a few.

Then again, reality. Not video game. Gawd, this would take some getting used to.

Still, that didn't mean I couldn't use my video game knowledge to the fullest.

Olive and Butter were out. Type disadvantages and all that. So I had Mock, Colby, and Granola left. Since the other was a flying-type, it would be best to use either Mock or Granola, since Mock could use Bubble as a long-distance attack and Granola could keep up with a flyer.

"What are you taking so long for? Getting scared? I don't blame you," the girl mocked.

My eye twitched. "I'm not a coward! Go, Granola!" Now hopefully she would listen.

"Gey!" my own bird cried, as with a burst of white light, she appeared. Now that I had another to compare, I realized that Red had been right. My Pidgey _was_ rather large.

"Sand-Attack, Granola!"

"Pidge!" using her wings, she whipped up a good-sized dust cloud. I realized that my hands were shaking. My heart started to pound, and a buzz of energy flooded my body. Adrenaline. Being so easily scared, I'd gotten used to that hormone and finagled out how to manipulate it to suit my needs, being able to summon it whenever I wanted to and cancel it as well. But I hadn't yet wrangled out how to stop the _involuntary_ fight-or-flight response when it appeared.

"Now, Gust!" I cried. Nodding at me, Granola flapped her wings to create a large dust tornado.

"Gust!" the order echoed from across the clearing.

The darkness made it hard to see, and I realized why most trainers battled in the daytime. Less chance to make a mistake.

_So…_ My mind raced. _Since so much else has matched, I would think Pokémon moves would as well…Granola knows Tackle, Sand-Attack, and Gust. Type matchups don't matter for this battle, so which move has more base power?_

"Gust again!" I cried.

"Pidge!"

With the sand and dust floating everywhere, plus the darkness, it was a bit pointless to keep my eyes open. I closed them, and relied on my hearing. I had better-than-average hearing, but nothing amazing. Not like an Audino would, that's for sure.

I cried out supportive comments every so often, also figuring that if she could hear my voice, Granola might be able to gain her bearings if lost. Both Pokémon went at it in a flurry of winds and wing flaps. My ears could pick out my opponent's words. It occurred to me that I was essentially fighting blind.

I had to rely on Granola's judgment.

_So…this is what Red meant…_ a voice whispered in the back of my head. I ignored it, however, my conscious focused entirely on the battle.

When the noises stopped, I opened my eyes.

A single Pidgey flapped in place, and turned toward me.

I gave a watery smile. Was this…?

Said Pidgey flew right at me, and settled on my shoulder.

I breathed a sigh of relief, and patted its beak. "You did good, Granola." Returning her in a flash of red light, I turned back to my opponent.

"Good effort, Pidgey. Go, Pidgey!"

At first I thought she was sending it out again, but I quickly realized my mistake.

So she had two Pidgey.

My mind quickly sifted through the options. "Go, Mock!" I threw the ball, relieved that I'd already thought over the possible choices at the beginning of the battle.

"Squirtle squirt!" he cried, and I briefly wondered why every Pokémon that exited a Poké Ball had to make noise after it did so.

"A Squirtle? Those are pretty rare."

"Yeah," I muttered. "Mock, your opponent's a Pidgey! Use Bubble!"

"Squirt!" he cried. We hadn't trained very much with this attack, and it didn't have much direction, but it was our only long-distance attack. I couldn't wait for Water Gun.

"Pidge!" the bird cried.

I watched a dark shape dive at another dark shape, and yelled out, "Mock!"

"Squirt!" the Squirtle executed a neat roll, foiling the attack. We hadn't gotten to train much, but one thing we'd learned was the art of dodging. Dodging ultimately saved more energy and health, so it was something I'd wanted to focus on.

"Mock, use Bubble again!" I cried.

"The same trick won't work twice on me," my opponent jeered, and shouted out, "Pidgey! Send them back!"

"Pidgey!" the bird flapped its wings, sending the bubbles back to Mock. They popped, and I winced at the sound. Well, Mock was tough.

But…what to do now? Bubble wouldn't work anymore, and I was sure that the trainer would be on the lookout for a Tackle. Plus, Pidgey were fast. And Mock wasn't the fastest of Pokémon. There was a chance that he would just end up taking a bunch of hits, unable to retaliate in time. This wasn't good.

I glanced around desperately, trying to turn the gears of my head. One thing I knew: if you were stuck, look around you. Checking your surroundings usually helped. I'd learned that lesson while playing Legend of Zelda games.

But this wasn't a video game, was it?

Oh well.

It was dark. We were in some sort of valley. Behind me, a narrow opening that widened out to Pewter City. We stood in a clearing with a rocky wall in front. There was a raised plateau to my left, and a dip to my right.

I think I took too long to figure all this out, though. Plus I _still_ had no ideas.

"Freezing up?" the voice echoed around me, and I shook my head, fists clenched. "Pidgey, Gust!"

Mock rolled away from the subsequent tornado, and I panicked.

I could rely on my other Pokémon to figure things out for themselves while fighting, Granola especially. But Mock required constant supervision, being raised in a lab. He had little to no experience in battling before meeting me.

"Um…keep using Bubble!"

"Squirt…" the turtle sounded unsure, but followed orders. Watching the Pidgey start to flap them back, I shouted out, "Dodge!"

My mind was whirring, trying best to come up with a decent strategy. But I couldn't think of anything. Anything at all. I'd hardly been _required_ to think up battle tactics before, and never on this scale.

I watched Mock use Bubble again, and dodge again. He was relying on _me_ to figure something out.

So…how? Rolling, dodging, Bubbling…what could any of this do?

I took a minute to think it over, trying to drown out the sounds of battle. But that very process hampered my thinking skills, and it took even longer to figure out something.

"How pathetic," the other trainer's voice rang out. "I thought with you having a Squirtle and all, you'd be a challenge. But you're just a one-trick Ponyta."

I gritted my teeth, and my body started to shake. All the stress of…everything was getting to me. I'd run here to fight and escape my troubles, but it looked like it just exacerbated the situation.

I peered intently at Mock, flinging through the dust of my brain for a half-decent idea.

One-trick Ponyta, huh?

Might as well try to switch it up then.

"Stop using Bubble, Mock!"

"Squirt…" the turtle sighed, and I felt bad. He was obviously getting tired.

"Hmph, Pidgey, use Tackle!"

That was it! If he could react soon enough…

"Mock! Use Tackle!"

"Uh-uh, I'm not dumb," the girl tittered. "That's the oldest trick in the book. Wait for the bird to fly down, and then attack."

"What…?"

Said Pidgey descended in a dive, knocking Mock over. Before I knew it, the bird was back in the air.

"Shit…" I swore. This was _not_ looking good.

Wait…how did _Red_ do this?

Having to rely on Red galled, no matter how indirectly, but I was fresh out of ideas. And he was a natural at battling.

Channel my inner Red…channel my inner Red…

I was very good at getting into character. A mixed blessing.

What would Red do?

_If your opponent's too fast, and your own Pokémon is slow, then you find a way to slow the other down. Either that, or speed your own up._

Common sense, but how?

I'd never had to battle a Pidgey that knew Gust before.

_Or you can find a way to trick your opponent._

…Trick? But how?

Distraction?

But what could I use?

I smiled grimly. If this didn't work, then I'd be sunk. But if it _did_…

"Mock, Bubble!"

After a few moments of hesitation, the Squirtle shot a small stream of bubbles at the Pidgey.

"Bubble, again? Pidgey, you know what to do!"

"Mock, roll underneath the Pidgey and use Bubble!"

No hesitation this time. The Squirtle curled into a somersault and leapt up gracefully, spewing out a cloud of bubbles from directly underneath the bird.

"Pidge!" said bird squawked in pain, caught off guard by the move.

I closed my eyes and sighed in relief. It worked…

"Squirtle!"

Opening my eyes, I saw Mock make a powerful upward jump and knock the distracted bird out of the sky.

After that, the battle was over.

"Thanks, Mock. You deserve a rest," I praised, returning the Pokémon back to his Poké Ball.

"I'm out of Pokémon," my opponent spoke, and I breathed a sigh of relief. If there'd been a third Pidgey…well, I don't know what I would have done.

I approached, and shook hands like Red always did. I wasn't sure how to ask for money, but the girl handed me a few coins before I could bring up the subject, and I thanked her before pocketing them. My first trainer battle, and my first obtainment of prize money.

"Humph, not bad, though you're obviously a rookie," the girl I just fought snorted.

That stung a bit. No one had ever called Red _just a rookie_. Not even Green. "What?"

"You have little to no control, and you take too long to think up strategies. You obviously haven't thought them out beforehand."

"I-"

"Is this your first battle?"

I nodded dumbly.

"Then you're doubly foolish. Who does their first battle in the dark?"

"Look!" I snapped. "I don't see where you get the gall to scold me like this! I won, didn't I?"

Right after those words exited my mouth, I winced. Yep. Definitely eleven-years-old again.

"Okay, I'm going to set you straight on a few things. I don't know how you managed to obtain a rare Squirtle _and_ an alpha Pokémon, but don't get any illusions about yourself. They're the _only_ reasons you won."

I closed my mouth, my whole body drooping. "I see…" She was right. I hadn't been able to do much at _all_ during Granola's battle, and I'd frozen during Mock's.

Forcing my mouth to curve up, I laughed, the sound echoing hollowly. "I see…you're right. I guess I was overconfident. Thanks."

The girl sighed, "Look, you're not _hopeless_. You just need a _lot_ more practice before you can confidently take on trainers and win most of the time. I'd recommend taking the Gym Challenge if you're serious about improving."

The advice was sound, but it wasn't what I wanted to hear.

"Gyms?" I shook my head. "Naw, sorry. I'm just a casual battler."

"You don't know _what_ you are yet," came the snappy reply. "You've just started. And if you're going to be a trainer at all, why not fight to be the best?"

"The best, huh?" I glanced upward, smiling slightly at the array of stars. "Sorry, but that's impossible," I laughed.

"Impossible? How do you know if something's impossible?"

"I-"

"Have you tried?"

"I…no! It's just that…well…"

"Even if you fail, you can still say you tried…"

I glanced at the girl, curiosity stirring in my chest. Everybody here was so obsessed with becoming the best trainer. Weren't there other things to be? Like a scientist, or a Silph Co. employee? I personally would love the chance to be Professor Oak's assistant.

But no. That wasn't as glamorous as becoming a trainer. Because forcing Pokémon to beat each other up was _so_ desirable and virile.

I tend to be sarcastic. It's one of my flaws.

"But Gyms and Badges have other benefits besides status," the girl droned on.

I sighed. I didn't need a lecture. "Look, I know this already. They increase stats, they enable HM use, allow you to enter the Indigo Plateau, blahdeblahblah." With the advent of nightfall, my mood had plummeted, my energy level with it. The battle hadn't helped either.

"Humph! How rude! But you're correct…so why don't you want to tackle the League Challenge?"

"Sheesh, you're so nosy," I sighed. "I just don't like the concept of battling in general…"

A pause. And then a bright bark of laughter. "You're kidding."

"No," I deadpanned. "I'm not."

And then I turned away, feet carrying me to the Center, where I'd finally get some well-deserved rest and respite.

Once there, I yawned and stretched, bringing my newly-healed Pokémon upstairs with me.

"So…our first battle," we'd entered the room and I flopped down onto the bed, noting absentmindedly the high quality of the room's interior. I was sensing a pattern. Trainers seemed to be treated very well in this world. _I wonder how the Pokémon Centers get the funds for all of this. Unless they're public services like libraries, which would make sense I guess…_

I blew out a breath of air, a bit overwhelmed. There was still so much about this world to learn. _Will I ever find out everything? Probably not. Heck, I don't even know everything about my _own_ world._

The stabbing pain at the thought was expected, but by now it had lost its edge. There really wasn't much to do about my situation, and at that a sort of resigned calm settled on me, the sort people experience when they know there's nothing they can do about their situation and try to work their best within the frame they've been given. A bit pessimistic, but true.

I smiled ruefully, staring up at the ceiling. The Pokémon had settled into familiar sleeping places. Mock was sleeping in the bathtub, Colby was off in a corner by himself, Granola perched on a chair with her head underneath her wing, Olive was underneath the covers with me, and now, so was Butter. They hadn't fought much over who would sleep where, thank goodness for small blessings.

It was strange. I had never slept with pets in my bed before, being a tad claustrophobic. It kept me up a bit, as I was constantly worrying about rolling over on them, but eventually I started to drift off.

A thought struck me like a thunderbolt.

I jolted in place, eyes snapping open to glance around the room.

How could I have been so _stupid_?

If I wanted to get anywhere, I'd _have_ to take the League Challenge. Badges enabled the use of HMs…I'd said so myself. And I would _need_ HMs. Especially if I separated from Red.

Life just _loved_ to throw a wrench in all my plans, didn't it? First the battling versus no-battling, and now _this_.

That was it. No more plans. I would just take things as they came and hope for the best.

But to tackle the conundrum now set before me…

Yawning, I growled internally, forcing my tired brain to work. It looked like I was being pushed into a situation where I _couldn't_ refuse.

I hated situations like that.

This all just smacked of some higher power that hated me. What had I ever done to deserve this?

Maybe I'd brutally murdered somebody in a past life or something, and this was divine punishment. Great. Being punished for something I didn't even remember doing.

I gripped my head in frustration. Hmm, maybe I could just _steal_ Badges like Blue did in the manga.

Did I _really_ just seriously consider that?

I sighed, and turned over on my pillow. Maybe I'd think of something else in the morning… It was useless to try and come up with ideas so late at night.

I fell asleep to uneasy dreams.


	18. Geniuses and Gym Guides

**Many, many thanks to kenegi, SmileRen, Lord Cow-Cow, colbub, nostalgicCyanide, TheKawaiiStar21, Searching for Enadi, FattySkeleton, Totodileawesomeness, ZombieSlayers, and Guests! Yays! You all make me feel happy! :D**

To celebrate 100 reviews AND 100 pages (1.5 spaced), I decided to make a "special chapter" from Red's POV! It's not this one, alas, but it'll probably pop up within the next few chapters. A few people have been asking about it, since it _is_ very limiting to see things purely from Catch's POV. Catch especially isn't the best at reading people. I've been wondering if I should do a chapter from another POV every ten chapters or so...or maybe every five...not too sure.

Also, I've been thinking of making fun little "omake" sections at the end of chapters every so often. They'll just come up when I see an opportunity for one.

* * *

Chapter 18: Geniuses and Gym Guides

The next morning really wasn't that fun. For one thing, Granola still decided I needed an alarm clock. For another, Red was just as broody as before (it might have had something to do with the fact that his Pikachu was refusing to get into its ball). For the last, I was still musing over the rather insane idea of stealing some Gym Badges. I was pretty sure it'd count as grand theft. With everybody wanting to challenge the Elite Four, I wouldn't be surprised if it had been attempted before, so they'd probably be heavily guarded.

Or I could just be a morally upright person like I had _thought_ I was and do it the fair way.

Ugh. That would mean _battling_. I truly _would_ become a trainer then.

And…the question of Red. Would I leave him to go off on my own or not?

In the end, I decided to stay with my earlier decision. For now, I would travel with him. But as soon as I found the P1500 to pay him back I would leave. I wouldn't be a burden. And it wouldn't be all-bad. It'd be easy to keep tabs on him, what with his penchant for getting into the middle of things. Plus, what with us both taking the Gym Challenge, I'd end up following his steps anyway. All I had to do was be there for the Sevii Island thing, maybe a spectator for the Elite Four challenge, and finish my Pokédex. All in all, I had a lot of time, and maybe I could just enjoy myself and treat this whole thing as an overseas tour.

_But this is a lot different from being a tourist. Now I'd have to be a trainer. _

I released a breath, glancing over at Red. We'd walked over to the Gym. _If I _were_ going to do this the straight-laced way, it would behoove me to inform my ever-silent companion._ I cringed, emotions swirling up at the thought. If I were…that would mean…talking to him. Should I pretend that I hadn't just run away in the middle of his training yesterday? Or that I hadn't had a breakdown either? Or maybe I should also pretend I hadn't noticed his aloof behavior. What to do…oh well, might as well just wing it. It's what I usually did.

"Hey, Red," I started, and then bit my lip. Way to go. Why talk in a small voice unless I was nervous? Nervousness would make this even more awkward. Oh well. It was too late now. I'd already opened my big mouth.

The boy glanced over, expressionless. Even more awkward.

"I…I've been thinking…I might have to…do the League Challenge."

His eyes widened slightly before narrowing.

"I…" I gulped, before continuing, "I don't really like the idea…but…Iwanooeeawolooseachems."

Red's expression was completely mystified.

"I…" I breathed. "I want to be able to use HMs. They'd be dead useful, and the only way I can use them is through Gym Badges, so…" I shrugged, heart curling. This was so unfair. Pidgey could already fly, and Squirtle could already surf, so why was an HM required to do either of those things with them?

I glanced at Red. His brow was deeply furrowed, eyes intent on a spot in front of and a little down from him.

"So…" I stated slowly, each word that left my mouth settling in my stomach like stones. "I…will work hard, and I guess…I'll have to get over…my aversion to battling. I mean…it can't be any different than what I've already done, right?" my eyes stung and I clenched my fists, head lowering to stare at the cobblestones below.

A soft pressure on my back caused me to jump, and I glanced over to see Red patting my back softly, awkwardly, and I couldn't help the bubble of amusement that formed in my heart. He was so awkward; it was kind of adorable. Then I remembered he was supposed to be mad at me and I at him. I glanced at him again, but he had already turned away to look up at the Gym. He stepped forward to the two glass doors of the Gym, which slid open automatically for us to enter.

The interior was interesting. The ceiling, which soared high above our heads, was dark pewter. Grayish blue-green stone beams framed the room, their color reminding me vaguely of fluorite. Columns of stacked stone boulders were situated at each corner. At first, they looked precarious, until I inspected them more closely and found them to be designed that way, as each stone fused with the next. The walls were pinstriped olive yellow and mustard, and at the top of one of the beams was an engraving of the BoulderBadge.

The floor was simple paneling until it passed two stone Rhydon statues, branching out into some sort of pine tree shape. The rest of the floor was hard-packed dirt and gravel, with boulders littering the area. A particularly large one in the center of the room supported a squinty-eyed boy with spiky brown hair and the tanned skin of one who worked outside a lot. He dressed like it too, with a gray-and-orange vest over a simple black t-shirt and olive green cargo pants. His shoes were sturdy unobtrusive gray-and-orange sneakers. He looked to be around fifteen-years-old.

A boy in the green garb of a camper stood to the side. I had no doubt that he would end up challenging Red before said boy could go on to the Gym Leader.

And what about me? Was now such a good time to go against Brock? I gulped nervously. Type advantage or not, battling that girl yesterday had forced me to realize just how much of a rookie I really was.

I stood there, noticing distantly how hard my heart was beating. Winning…if I didn't win…would I be left behind?

My hands clenched onto my shorts. Red, I noticed vaguely. How fitting.

A respectable-looking man in a blue suit and red tie approached us. I started, not having noticed him at _all_. Ninja.

Smiling benignly at us, he started to speak. "Hiya! Do you want to dream big? Do you dare to dream of becoming the Pokémon champ? I'm no trainer, but I can advise you on how to win. Let me take you to the top!" His voice had the pleasant blandness of a car salesman.

Red thought about it, and then nodded.

"All right! Let's get happening!"

I expected him to start talking about the game menu but he didn't. Of course. Bad Catch. I have to remember that this isn't a game.

"If you have different Pokémon, then try switching up who you send out to gain an advantage!"

Not really that useful, but eh. Oh well. We thanked him and moved on. Red marched forward, and I followed cautiously, mind swirling with uncertainty.

"Stop right there, kid! You're ten thousand light-years from facing Brock!"

I stopped, uncertainty dissipating to be replaced with humor. Face screwing up, I covered my mouth as the "pfft" escaped. This kid was sure something. He knew what light-years _actually_ measured, but he still said what he'd said. It sounded like something _I'd_ say to lighten the mood.

Said kid shot me a grin before facing Red again. I liked him.

I watched them both settle into battle stances. Bitterness twisted my heart for a second. Of course. It was always Red.

And the kid had no problem accepting either. He sent out Ivysaur before I could blink.

The next battle was a flurry of vines. It seemed that neither the kid's Geodude nor Sandshrew knew any effective moves, so they were whipped. Badly.

When Red faced up against Brock, I knew he'd have no problem. I wondered if Brock knew it as well. Probably. He wasn't stupid. Far from it, in fact. And it didn't take a genius to figure out that Red _was_ one. At least when it came to battling.

No, I wasn't worried about Red, but rather, myself.

"So, you're here. I'm Brock. I'm Pewter's Gym Leader," spoke the boy. "My rock-hard willpower is evident even in my Pokémon. My Pokémon are all rock hard, and have true-grit determination."

If I were a perverted teenager, I'd probably be giggling right now. Instead, I merely wondered whether he spoke that way on purpose. Maybe anime Brock would have. Or maybe not. He wasn't _crude_, just…prone to bouts of lovesickness at the sight of any person with twin X chromosomes.

"That's right- my Pokémon are all the Rock type! Fuhaha!"

Red stared at Brock, and I thought I saw sweat running down the Leader's face. "You're going to challenge me knowing you'll lose? That's the trainer's honor that compels you to challenge me! Fine, then! Show me your best!"

Poor Brock. All that bravado. But the excitement in his voice was genuine. He really was looking forward to battling against Red.

"Go, Geodude!"

The rock ball with arms appeared. This one looked a bit stronger than the other one, though I still felt that it had no chance against Red.

I was right. Ivysaur, who was still out, proved that you really _can_ play basketball with a rock. Amazing.

"So, are you planning on challenging Brock yourself?" asked the dapper-looking man in the suit from earlier.

I frowned at him, "So what if I am?" His tone right now was a far cry from the friendly and helpful one it'd been with Red.

"Well…" he paused. "You're not really…_doing_ much."

Anger roared through me, but I forced myself to streamline it into a thin tube of vitriol instead of it emerging as full-forced yelling. Something about snappy dressers made me feel like I had to be _polite_. "And what, pray tell, am I _supposed_ to do?" the words hissed out as wisps of steam from a boiler. _Of_ _course_ I was standing off to the side. I didn't have any of that "battle aura" Red had, and there wasn't much _else_ to do at the moment, what with the green-clothed boy being out of useable Pokémon.

"Hey, don't get angry," the man held up two palms in surrender. Strange. I wondered if the Japanese knew that gesture. "I'm just being honest."

My eye twitched. What?

"You're just standing off here…to the side. You haven't battled yet at all. I wondered if you had a game plan."

I shook my head slowly, grudgingly. "No, not really. I do have a type-advantage, though."

The man pushed up his glasses with two fingers. "Really? Is that it?" he shook his head. "I guess you wouldn't be the first."

"Hm?"

"Did you ever wonder…?" at this, he turned away to glance at Red's battle, which had renewed at the arrival of Brock's Onix. The man whistled. "That kid's got guts, using a Pikachu against Brock.

Wait…what?

I looked over myself. "Pikachu?"

There it was. That bratty little electric mouse. He'd walked forward, ignoring Red's protests, to stand off against the Onix. The snake looked down his nose at the rodent in disdain.

"Hmph! A Pikachu. Well, it looks like I was wrong about you. Onix, Bind!"

The Pokémon lunged forward, coiling his body around the mouse.

Red leaned forward, and though, being behind him, I couldn't see his expression, I was sure he was worried.

I watched Pikachu let loose a powerful ThunderShock…which did absolutely nothing to Onix.

When the coils loosened, the Pokémon leapt out, gasping painfully. My heart constricted. No matter how much of a brat he was, he didn't deserve that.

Red signed a few gestures to Pikachu, but the Pokémon shook its head stubbornly and ran for Onix. The boy shook his own head at his Pokémon's antics, but his shoulders relaxed at the same time.

"Pika! Pika!" the Pokémon cried as it avoided boulders from "Rock Tomb," as Brock called it. For some reason, it also used its ThunderShock on them. Which was completely useless.

"Hmm…good strategy there."

I glanced to the side. "What strategy? It looks like he's just dodging and discharging." And it did look like it. I couldn't help the worry I felt. It was obvious that Red's willful Pikachu was purposely disobeying orders.

A sigh for my answer. "You really are a rookie, kid. Don't you get it? Onix have a magnet in their brain. This battle's already over."

I watched as a second later, the rock snake tumbled to the ground in confusion, surrounded by a ring of stones.

Oh. I see. Electromagnetism. On the rocks. Wow. I wouldn't have thought of that in a million light-years. I glanced over at Red. _Did he plan this from the start?_

"Congratulations!" Brock clapped his hands warmly, eyes positively sparkling. "You have impressed me, kid! I've never had somebody beat my Onix with an electric Pokémon," he chuckled. "What's your name?"

Red looked at him, and held up his notebook.

Brock glanced at the notebook, and then at Red. I could see the gears turning. "I wondered why you didn't call out any orders. It looked like you had a struggle controlling your Pikachu at first, too. But you managed to finish it spectacularly. As proof of your victory…I confer on you this. The BoulderBadge." He held up the Badge and presented it to Red.

"That's one sharp kid."

I turned to look at the man at my side again. "Really?" _I_ knew that, but how could this guy tell? Was it just from the battle?

He turned himself and smiled at me. "Most newbies gawk at the flashy moves and noisy Pokémon. I, however, like to observe the trainers." He turned again to look at Red, watching him receive the Badge. "That kid…he knew right away his Pokémon wouldn't obey him. From what I saw, he purposely gave his Pokémon orders contrary to what he actually _wanted_ to happen. Add to that the electromagnetic charge he generated, and you have to hand it to him. For a plan made up on the fly, he's pretty darn good."

I froze. He was right. Red couldn't have known his Pikachu would've pushed himself into battling Onix, right? Well…

Either Red was some super-speed planner that could adapt to nearly any situation thrust upon him and come out on top…or he was some super chess king that knew each and every move his pawns would make. Either way he was too terrifying.

"He's pretty considerate too. If he'd used Ivysaur, Brock wouldn't be able to battle you right now, and you'd probably have to wait until later on today. However, as Onix just got confused, it's at full health and ready for another match."

"…" Maybe I should be more terrified of the guy who could figure out this entire situation like that.

After backing away from both terrifying people, I watched Brock hand over a disc which turned out to be a TM for Rock Tomb. "I don't often give these out, but you've impressed me with your battling skills. I hope we meet again," his tone sounded strangely formal, but I could sense the excitement underneath.

Red nodded to him, and my heart started to beat faster as he walked back to me. This was it. I was up next.

I nodded at Red, who nodded back. I didn't feel as awkward around him now. I had a plan, and I would stick with it. Plus, I couldn't shake off my awe for him. He just beat Brock with an _electric_ _Pokémon_. And not in a dumb, Ashy way either. But in a smart way. I was impressed. No, I was _amazed_.

"You were great!" I praised, smiling loopily. "Did you come up with that plan right then and there?"

Red smiled, and I could see a faint blush tinge his cheeks. Cute.

But he didn't answer me. How lame. There was a limit to how mysterious you were allowed to be. Or at least that's what I thought.

_Good luck._

Thanks, Red. I'll need all the luck I can get.

I walked up to the stone boulder, each step quivering.

Brock looked down sternly at me. "Welcome," his voice boomed around the room. "I assume you already know who I am. Are you here to battle?" What was with him and the formalities?

"Yes," I nodded, swallowing. "My name is—"

"Names do not matter until after we fight. Then, if you win, I shall endeavor to learn it. For now, let us battle!"

I nodded again, dumbly.

"For this match, as my Geodude is down for the count, we shall use one Pokémon each. Call out your Pokémon."

I nodded a third time, backing up like Red had to put space between us. Reaching into my pocket, I found Mock's ball and threw it, wincing as the trajectory fell far short of the mark. "Go, Mock…"

The white outline of a Squirtle appeared, and I caught the ball which bounced back to my hand (surprisingly enough, since I had never been good at baseball or softball), shrinking it for easier holding.

"Squirtle!" Mock cried, looking up fearfully at Brock's Onix, which had recovered from its confusion by now.

"Mock, that's your opponent!" I yelled.

"A Squirtle?" Brock's eyebrows flew up. "I haven't seen too many of those. Three rare Pokémon within days of each other."

"Three?" my ears perked. Was Pikachu considered rare? I guess…

"Well, Pikachu too," Brock shrugged. "I had this guy come through, named Blue. He managed to beat me with a Charmander using Metal Claw. Aside from Red, I haven't had any challenger nearly that smart."

"I see…" I nodded. So Green had already come through. Of course. He was Gary Motherfucking Oak. Okay, different name. But the term still applied.

Hmm…if that was his full name, then we shared middle initials. Gross.

"Enough chit-chat," Brock interrupted my musing. "We're here to battle!"

I laughed, the sound odd in my ears. "True. Let's." I breathed in, nerves settling somewhat. This was how I always got. Like when I gave speeches. The trick for me was to just keep my mind on what I wanted to do, rather than how much I hated having all eyes on me. And for now, I had to focus on battling, which I'd need all my concentration for anyway. I peered upward at my opponent.

He smiled in anticipation. "Battle, start!"

o1o1

Omake 1: Early Bird

Granola liked to wake up early. To be able to see the morning sun and greet the dawn. There had always been something nice about it. Something...empowering. Even if other Pokémon were stronger or faster, she was still the earliest. What was that her mother had told her? The early bird got the worm? And it was true. Being the earliest, she could pick the choicest grub to eat without worrying about other loners or, even worse, flocks.

And yet, her lazy trainer hadn't seemed to grasp that.

She'd been with her trainer for almost two days so far and she already knew she'd have to teach her about waking up on time. She'd managed to wake her up yesterday.

Unfortunately, today was different.

She peeped loudly, which had worked before. However, most likely because of the exhausting battle yesterday, her trainer just mumbled something and resumed sleeping.

Hopping over the bed, she ignored a half-hearted swipe from Olive and settled down next to her trainer's ear. Maybe this would work…

"CHEEP!"

Her trainer woke up and started shouting. Granola merely cocked her head to the side. She hadn't yet figured out that strange language her trainer and other hoo-mens spoke, but she understood enough to know everybody's names. She had had her own name ripped from her when she'd been kicked out of the flock. And now her trainer had given her a new one.

At first, they hadn't gotten along, as Catch had reminded her of her old flock leader, who was always yelling at her. But after that sweep through the woods, she'd decided to give her a second chance. For once, she hadn't yelled at her. And although Granola hadn't understood all of what she'd said, she understood enough to realize that Catch didn't want to shout and fight anymore (aside from when she was woken up, which was amusing).

It mystified her. If Catch wasn't trying to be flock leader then what _was_ she trying to be?

Mock had explained that this was a _team_. Instead of the setup of a flock, where there was a leader and followers, he'd told her that Catch wasn't trying to be a leader, but their _trainer_.

[What's the difference?] she had asked.

[A trainer tries to build you up, not tear you down.]

Well, Catch might be her trainer, but even trainers had things they needed to work on. Like oversleeping. And Granola would do her best to show her trainer the rewards that getting up early reaped.


	19. Rocky Roads and Trainer Tips

Chapter 19: Rocky Roads and Trainer Tips

When I first had seen Brock's Onix, my heart had dropped into the bottom of my ribcage. If I'd had any doubts as to the power Pokémon possessed, it all dissipated when I'd beheld the behemoth before me.

It looked to be more than five times my height. I didn't know my exact height, but I was pretty sure I was around four feet something. That meant that, doing some quick mental math, Onix was probably in the twenties range.

There was a reason the Gym's ceiling went up so high.

At the time, seeing a foot-high rodent going up against a twenty-something-foot snake of rock, I'd been terrified. There'd been no Red, no wily critter, just a yellow mouse that was extraordinarily outmatched.

It was all the more amazing to me that Pikachu had managed to defeat it.

And here it was again, glaring down at me and Mock, my trusty Squirtle. Mock quivered underneath its eyes. He was a gentle soul that had as much taste for battling as I did.

And yet, here I stood, forcing him to fight. My heart clenched. Was this the wrong decision? I could've just as easily chosen Olive, or Butter. But the Poké Ball my hand brought out was marked with a familiar tureen and a shell. And I'd gone with it.

Was I right to do that? Did I regret my decision? Maybe.

One thing about Pokémon. They didn't _always_ say their name. They could also squeak, roar, chatter, any number of sounds, really. I always wondered, however, why they _did_ say their name at times. Or was it just that whoever named the Pokémon had no originality?

At the moment, Onix opened its mouth and let loose a terrifying roar. A roar that was no less terrifying for having already heard it. There's a difference between being a bystander and having the full-force of it directed at you. It blasted us to the ground and shook our insides.

I glanced around us to be sure the building wasn't shaking. Gyms had to be built really sturdily, didn't they? Otherwise the repair costs would be frequent and phenomenal.

I got up, shaking, and vaguely, wondered if this was meant to intimidate. If so, it worked.

"Squiiiirt…" Mock glanced up at me pleadingly.

I shook my head at him, repeating what I'd said earlier. "That's your opponent."

"Squirt…" he turned forward, determinedly. My heart squeezed at his courage, and I wondered, if I'd been in his shoes (or lack of) would I have done the same?

Why hadn't I waited for him to learn Water Gun? "Um…Mock…B-Bubble!"

The giant snake recoiled at the damage, and I smiled. Maybe I'd win this one yet.

When I'd fought Brock in-game, I'd just spammed type-effective moves against him, and he went down like, well, a _rock_.

Maybe it'd be the same here.

"Good going, Mock!" I shouted encouragement. He looked back and grinned, and I returned it, spirits rising.

"Onix, Bind!"

"Mock, dodge!" I didn't worry too much. We'd practiced our dodging skills. How fast could an overgrown rock snake be?

Turns out, _very_ fast. Compared to Pikachu, it might be slow, but I'd forgotten that Mock was even slower.

"Squiirrrtle," Mock cried out from the coils that had constricted around him.

"Oh my gawd…" this was even worse than watching Pikachu like that. Would he be able to slip out as well? My mind froze. What would I be able to do now? What would work? "U-use Bubble!"

"Squirt!" large, translucent, wavering orbs exited the turtle's mouth and popped against the rocks encircling him.

The Onix roared, and loosened its grip, Mock sliding out like a fish from its grasp.

I smiled shakily, "K-keep using Bubble, Mock!"

"Onix, go underground!" Brock shouted, and my eyes flicked to him. In all the excitement, I'd forgotten about him. What was it that that terrifying man had said? He watched the trainers.

Brock stood tall and proud, legs spread wide apart in a firm, steady stance. He looked as strong as a mountain; nothing could break him. His face was stone grim.

I panicked. What was I supposed to do when I couldn't read him? That man had said to watch the trainers, but I got absolutely _nothing_ from that. So…what to do? Use Bubble on the tunnel? I had a feeling that might work.

"Mock, use Bubble into the tunnel!" Mock waddled over to the lip of the hole and drew breath to attack.

"Hah!" Brock roared triumphantly, "Onix, strike!"

And then there was an explosion of noise and rock, and when the dust cleared, Mock was unconscious.

Was it all over…that fast?

My breath caught in my throat, my voice coming out like a choke: "…Mock?" I ran forward, mindless of the boulders and scree in my path. My legs pumped like pistons toward the fallen blue form ahead. Lifting the Pokémon carefully, I cradled him in my arms, sighing in relief when I detected the gentle puff of air escaping his mouth.

I trudged back toward Brock with slow, weary steps. I didn't look at Red or the other guy. I just couldn't. Not at this moment.

"Not bad," Brock commented. "You have a lot to learn about battling: you fell right for the trap I laid. However, you already have a bond of trust between yourself and your Squirtle. That's rare in most Badge-free rookies that pass through here."

I nodded numbly, the praise doing little for my mood. I had _lost_. That's all that mattered now.

"I'd recommend training more with your Squirtle to build its endurance and learning more about Pokémon battling in general. You need to be able to grasp the basics before attempting an official League match."

My brain filed the advice away in a folder to look at later. For now, I couldn't think beyond: _I lost, I lost_.

_I lost._

I must have returned Mock to his ball. I must have left, and I must have healed him up at the Center. Red must have come with me, because when I woke from the haze he was standing in the lobby, staring out a window.

He turned, as if sensing my return, and looked at me.

I looked back at him.

"So…" my voice croaked across the space between us, which seemed wider than ever. "W-what's going to h-happen now?"

He looked at me, furrowing his brows, head tilted forward.

"I s-suppose this is where we part ways?" my shoulders hunched forward, but I raised my chin proudly. Lost in my thoughts, I paid no attention to Red's expression. I twitched my lips into a smile, but there was no happiness behind it. "After all, I failed. I lost, and I'm holding you back." There were no tears, though my smile jerked and twisted in unnatural contortions that matched my heart's condition.

Red stared at me, and then looked out again, eyebrows settling over distant eyes.

I turned away myself, and cursed myself for being so moody about this. Friends walked in and out of my life all the time, whether by choice or by distance. This was no different. In the end, it was the natural way of things.

I decided to leave first to make it easier on him.

Once I left, I headed for the Pokémon Mart. I'd checked over my money, and I didn't have much, only P144, but that would probably be enough to buy a Poké Ball bracelet and some stickers.

Browsing the shelves, I found what I was looking for pretty quickly and paid for my purchases, seventy-five Poké Dollars lighter but with a bracelet holding five Poké Balls and swinging a packet of sixty different stickers.

Labeling the Poké Balls in terms of number, I smiled, deciding to visit the museum. I let the boy by the Mart guide me to the place and wondered at how my feet moved automatically once more.

The building was huge, larger than the Gym, with creamy-pink walls reminiscent of sandstone and a two-tiered magenta roof. Thick blush-colored pillars framed the entrance like tusks.

The interior was interesting. Mustard-colored pinstriped walls seemed popular here, this one broken up by cylindrical Greek-style columns every so often. Double-hung windows let in noon light over polished umber marble floors.

A brunette looked at me from behind a goldenrod-colored counter, "It's fifty Poké Dollars for a child's ticket," he spoke in a whispery voice.

Handing over the money, I wandered farther in, eyes taking in everything from the old man peering intently at a glass case to the stairs tucked away behind a partition.

Approaching the container where the man was at, I looked inside. Encased in some sort of protective plaster lay large bones. I wondered if these were merely copies made by the museum or the actual fossils themselves.

A picture showed what it was supposed to be: an Aerodactyl.

The other showed a Kabutops. I admired both of these for a while, though internally I couldn't help but wonder how I could find _both_ these Pokémon in their living states.

A sign in front of the nearby stairs informed me that the museum held a monthly exhibit upstairs and that this month's theme was space. Curious, I climbed the stairs to see a few more people than had been downstairs. A mini model of a space shuttle stood on a roped-off platform. The other exhibit was another glass case holding a meteorite broken into four ragged gray pieces. I observed it to see if it would glow with moonlight or anything, but it didn't.

This museum didn't seem to have much at _all_. It was just like the game. I turned away disappointedly, accidentally bumping into a young boy who looked to be a few years older than me.

"Watch where you're going!" he snarled.

I flinched away, so taken aback by the venom in his tone that I didn't retaliate. Before going downstairs, I glanced back at him.

He had mint green hair that seemed slightly familiar. I shook my head.

I moved downstairs, wondering if I'd see Red. I didn't.

Of course. What was I expecting? I was probably the only one that had started to see him as a friend… I'd always been foolish that way; unable to see the _lack_ of friendship I shared with others. And then they'd walk away from me…and I'd be alone again.

I closed my eyes, breathed in, and released it, wondering if a breeze would break the stillness of this summer air anytime soon. After all, it was getting hotter and hotter lately. It was probably mid-June by the temperature, plus it'd been June when I'd arrived.

When I'd _arrived_.

When I'd _left_.

The familiar bile rose in my throat, and I forced it down. No. I'd decided to be strong. Strength meant that you had to tackle the problems life gave you full-force. Not dwell in…thoughts.

I headed down to Route 2 to sit underneath a tree and read my book on Pokémon care. Reading had always helped bring me to a new world, where the problems of the old one were left behind. Strange, I'd always figured that if I'd be transported to a new world in _reality_, I'd still be just as happy as I was when reading. Of course…that didn't happen.

Part of me wondered why I didn't care more about _losing_, but about what _Red_ thought.

_It's simple._ I answered myself. _It never mattered that much…battling, fighting, all of this. _I waved an arm. _The only reason this place has been somewhat _tolerable_ is because of the friends I've made…Mock, Colby, Granola, Olive, Butter, Ivysaur, Red…_

I shook my head and reread the page I was on. So Mankey trainers recommended stress balls? Fascinating. I wasn't sure if I'd need that for Olive though. She was pretty level-headed.

Speaking of Pokémon…it'd be a good idea to train them.

I rose, dusting off my legs automatically. "Okay!" I slapped my cheeks. "Don't let this get to you, Catch. Be strong…" my voice ended in a whisper. I released all my Pokémon and smiled at them. I didn't care that it was forced. "So…we had a loss today, but we won't let that get us down! We need to train! Figure out some sort of strategy…" I scratched my head. "Well…it'd probably be smarter to go against trainers and get a feel for battling trained Pokémon, but frankly, I have very little confidence we'd manage. And I'm too poor to lose money. But!" I clapped my hands together at their dejected looks. "We just need to work, and we'll get better! I believe this!"

I smiled internally. For some reason, it was easier to be strong when you knew others were relying on you.

"Hmm…well, let's get to it! Mock, I'll be personally supervising you, so don't worry!"

"Squiiiirt…" he stared at me with large, watery eyes.

I smiled genuinely at the sight. "Don't worry, Mock. I don't blame you. After all, it's also my fault as a trainer…I was the one who made you approach the tunnel. I fell for the trap, so the loss was my mistake…"

"Squirt…" he sniffed, and tackled me. Releasing a whoosh of air, I smiled and rolled down, holding him firmly but gently, fingers probing for ticklish spots. He was heavy for his size. But I appreciated the emotion behind the action. _Mock_ would never leave, of that I was sure.

Our moment was interrupted by the sound of somebody clearing his throat.

I froze, a tad embarrassed, to face amused brown eyes underneath a familiar red-and-white cap.

"Ah…" I started, and then stopped. Quickly shoving Mock off and getting up, I gave a small, false smile. "Hello, Red."

He nodded, brows furrowing before pointing at the Pokémon and then at himself.

I tilted my head, confused.

He stopped, and then scribbled on his notebook. _Do you want help?_

What?

I stared at him, brows lifted.

He looked at me, and then sighed. _You will need help if you are to face Brock again._

I nodded slowly, "…And…you're offering?"

Another nod.

Finally, the sluggish cells in my brain made the connection. "Oh…are you…sure?"

He nodded, eyes taking on the "no-nonsense" look they got sometimes. I had started to figure something out earlier in the forest. Red was incredibly stubborn, and whenever he'd wear that look, nothing would sway him.

I sighed, and then attempted a small, true smile. "Well…thanks…Red."

Another nod, and then he released both of his Pokémon. Ivysaur looked healthy, if a little tired, and I remembered that I had yet to inform Red about Botan's advice. Pikachu looked fresh and strong.

Red nodded at the two of them, and they both nodded back, and turned in unison to look over my team. Even now when I knew _how_ it happened, it hadn't changed my feelings on it. Their silent communication was still _way_ too creepy and ghostlike.

_Wait…Pikachu's finally listening to Red? Well, that's another bit of good news today._

Ivysaur trundled over to my two flyers, and started chatting with them in Pokémonese. Pikachu approached Mock, and another conversation started. Olive, and even Colby approached as well, curious in spite of themselves. They exchanged words with the other Pokémon, and suddenly everybody split off into groups. Ivysaur with Butter and Granola, Pikachu with Mock, and Olive with Colby.

I jabbed my thumb at the Pokémon, and stared at Red pointedly. "So…um, what's going on?"

Red didn't reply, to which I felt a little peeved, and stomped after him when he moved to stand beside the tree I'd been leaning on. He sat down, brushing a grassless patch of ground from debris. Curious, I followed suit.

He stared at the ground for a moment before writing. _Ivysaur is going to help Granola and Butter with agility, and Pikachu's going to improve Mock's speed at aiming. Colby and Olive are sparring to improve their basic fighting skills._

There was _so_ much of that I didn't get. "Huh?"

He looked at me, expression patient. _Look._

I looked.

Granola and Butter were tag-teaming Ivysaur, but he outmatched both, harrying them with speedy vines that cracked the air. Both flapped madly to gain height, but the vines followed, and eventually they gave up, settling for avoiding the whips. They weren't entirely successful, but their teamwork and reflexes seemed to improve as time went on.

Pikachu was a high-speed yellow blur that gave my eyes a workout to watch. Mock's bubbles were far too slow to catch him, but eventually the turtle gave up on trying to match the yellow rodent's speed and instead worked on predicting his movements.

Colby and Olive pretty much matched each other for speed. Only Butter could keep up with them, so they were good sparring partners for each other. However, Olive outmatched Colby in pretty much everything, especially attack power, even typing. But Colby wasn't one to underestimate. I watched, impressed, as he gained his second wind and managed a sneak attack on the Mankey. Olive was strong, but she lacked cunning.

"I see…" I nodded. Unlike the undisciplined brawling when we battled wild Pokémon, this training session seemed a lot more…strategic. More focused. Already they were showing improvement from this. "Thank you." _For helping me, for coming back._

Red managed a small smile. I managed to not look completely blown over.

Taking out his notebook, he nodded. _Are you ready?_

I nodded back, eyes sharpening. Whatever he had for me, I could take it.

_Then it's time for _your_ training session._

…Mine?

Red smiled again at the look on my face. _When you battle…what do you think?_

…Huh?

Correctly reading my expression, he sighed. _What goes through your mind?_

_Um…_ I thought about it, and decided to be honest. "I worry about my Pokémon, and wonder if I made the wrong choice, or if I _will_ make the wrong choice."

_That's normal. That's what goes through the mind of most beginners. But you'll have to go beyond that._

I nodded seriously. "I know. I have to strategize, right?"

_That's right. It's all right to worry, since it shows you care. But you also have a duty to your Pokémon to keep them from harm. That duty means that while worrying, you should also be figuring out a way to keep them safe._

"So what do I do then?"

_It depends on the situation. But first it's probably better to learn the difference between wild and trained Pokémon._

"Sounds like a good idea…" I ventured.

_Wild Pokémon are usually defending their territory. They will only attack you if you enter their range, and what's most important to them is staying safe and keeping their life and land. That is why many, if they think they cannot win, will flee. Others stay out of pride or respect to the trainer. However, trained Pokémon do not have this impulse. They know they cannot be captured, and follow the orders of their trainer. The average trainer is smarter than the average wild Pokémon, having more experience with competitive battling. On the other hand, this also means that the average trained Pokémon is smarter than the average wild one. This makes trained Pokémon deadlier adversaries…_

Red was _very_ smart when it came to battling. I hadn't figured out _why_ exactly trained and wild Pokémon were different. He obviously had.

After discussing the essential differences between wild and trained Pokémon, Red moved on to more battling basics, such as air resistance, use of terrain, and leading others into traps.

_Trained Pokémon and trainers know to be wary for traps, and often try to read an opponent. You need to either find a way to not let your emotions show, or show them in such a way to be misleading…_

Then we went over basic scenarios.

_If Granola had a Spearow at three o'clock and a Farfetch'd at six o'clock she couldn't see, then how would you deal with it? The setting is a mountainous region with a tree at nine o'clock…_

He would illustrate each scenario by drawing in the dirt with a stick from a bird's-eye view to aid me. Even with that, I still ended up getting things wrong most of the time, forgetting little details like wind direction, or even where the sun was in the sky.

I looked at him sideways after a particularly difficult scenario. "_Where_ and _when_ did you _learn_ all this?"

_Some of the basics I learned in the school, or from Professor Oak. _He glanced upward, eyes thoughtful. _Some of the more advanced stuff I read from the book I bought. But most of this is just common sense._

I gawped at him. "So…that stuff about maneuvering a Rhyhorn into a tree was _common sense_?"

He shrugged. _It stands to reason that with a horn in front and eyes at the side, it wouldn't see like we do. Also, if a tree were directly in front of the Pokémon, that it'd be easy to trick it into charging and getting the horn stuck in the tree. Which will give you, the opponent, an opportunity._

I shook my head. Okay, scratch that. Red wasn't smart. He was a _natural_.

My eyes lowered at the thought. I'd met a few geniuses in my life, and had sensed the sadness hiding behind their smiles. They could pretend to fit in, but theirs was a world expanded beyond ours. I saw it like a livestock corral within another corral. We regular people only sat in the inner one, while they wandered both fields. But there were far less inhabitants in the outer field than in the inner field. _The path of greatness is a lonely one, no matter where the end result leads._

As I sat there and thought, part of me wondered if maybe I'd misinterpreted Red. The fact that he was still here with me…I must have meant something to him, right? Maybe…we could be friends.

In the end…I'd probably have to just ask him. I can imagine how that would go…

_ "Hey Red, so are you mad at me or not? You're so stupidly unreadable I can't even tell whether you want me around anymore…"_

_ "…"_

_ "Hey, what are you shaking your head for? Don't walk away! Hey, don't ignore me! _Red_!"_

Really, I do think that's what would happen. What does _that_ say about me?

I looked to the darkening sky and smiled. The fact that he was here…wasn't that telling enough? I knew that he had a rivalry with Green and didn't want to fall behind…yet he was still here. He hadn't left.

_Red…the more I find out about you; the more I wonder…how did you end up like you did on Mt. Silver? You're such a kind person…to abandon all your friends and family seems so unlike you…_

I shook those troubling thoughts away. I would be long gone before then. Best not to think on things I'd never be a part of.

For now, I would focus on improving myself. I would prove to Red that his effort was worth it. This would be the last day he had to fall behind for me.

It wouldn't happen twice.

* * *

**Thank you very much to Searching for Enadi, Gembell, nostalgicCyanide, SmileRen, Otaku-neku, Lord Cow-Cow, Totodileawesomeness, kenegi, ZombieSlayers, Pinkypink342, RandomCitizen, colbub, and Guest for reviewing! :D**


	20. Red 1

Chapter 20: Red 1

Red watched Catch train in silence. He was always silent, but inside he was smiling.

The girl had improved a little during the training. Not to the extent of amazement, but at least she was finally figuring out the basics and getting a grasp on it. It was…heartwarming, to see her diligently working to improve. Especially considering the fact that she didn't even _want_ to fight.

Red gazed heavenward, brows furrowing. It was…saddening, in a way. He himself loved battle, the joy, the thrill, and the pure triumph that flooded him after a win. He took to it like a fish to water, and it seemed to be one of the few things he was actually _good_ at.

He had never been graced with social skills, unlike Blue. Blue, who had always been more charismatic, richer, smarter, and got more attention from girls. Red had always just been, well, Red. There, in the background. Nobody ever noticed him except his mother, Professor Oak, and Blue himself. Maybe his teacher counted too, but she'd always paid more attention to Blue.

Catch had noticed him, though. She had looked into his eyes and saw him. He could tell. The way her eyes narrowed, the way her lips pursed, the tightening of her stance. Body language gave so much away…he always wondered why people didn't notice it as much.

Red knew why _he_ could, though. When learning sign language, one had to be observant and pay attention to minute details. And body language was an effective tool to use for people that didn't know sign language. They unconsciously recognized it and reacted in turn.

He shook his head. He'd gotten lost in thought again. It was easy, when one could not speak, to get wrapped up in musings. But dangerous. Especially in battle.

His eyes flicked around the clearing, satisfied that there were no trainers to fight. He loved battle, _thrived_ off it even, so he was always on the alert for prospective trainers. He wondered if his eyes flashed red when he did so. He wouldn't be surprised.

They alighted on Catch, and acknowledged her as little threat before the rest of his mind caught up. _No. Catch is a friend, not a foe. _He frowned to himself, the word strange to the head. When was the last time he had a friend? And when had he seen her as that?

She was an easy person to like, though, smiling and gentle toward strangers and him. But then again, she was also mentally unstable. He frowned somewhat. There was something about her…he couldn't put his finger on it, but he doubted she was that way naturally. The lost, sad cast to her eyes told him that this must be a situational occurrence, but he had yet to decipher the whole truth. She was a mystery to be solved, but he had decided to leave her alone. She'd tell him if she felt like it, and that was the way it was.

Unlike Blue, Red was not naturally nosy. He kept to himself, and never pried, nor was pried in return except by those that knew him well. It made him wonder…if they were…_friends_, _should_ he pry? He'd yet to figure out all the nuances of society. There were so many, and he was naturally disadvantaged to deal with them all…

But _were_ they friends? Earlier today, Catch had expected him to leave. He hadn't expected that himself, but she seemed to be under the notion that she would hold him back. While it was true from his observations that the girl tended to "stop and smell the roses" as it were, she was far from the obstacle she seemed to think herself. In fact, her presence was…surprisingly welcome. She was a bit loud and bossy at times, but her heart was in the right place and she loved Pokémon. That was the main thing. He didn't think he'd be able to tolerate traveling with somebody that _didn't_ like Pokémon.

No, she was not an obstacle, he knew, and he was ashamed that she'd even believed that. Had his body language suggested such feelings? Well, he knew he was not the best of communicators…

So was she a friend? He wasn't sure.

He'd stood there in shock after she'd run off, and evaluated her destination. Probably not too far, as she still had to challenge the Gym. But, he considered, it might be better to leave her alone for now. Blue had once told him that people liked to be left alone to cry. And she looked like she was about to cry.

His mother had said comfort was the best medicine for tears. But Red failed at consolation, finding it too awkward. He'd never _needed_ to support others. His mother had always made sure to cry when she thought him asleep, and he'd never confronted her on that.

Blue had once called him a robot with no emotion. Maybe he was right…it felt like all his emotions had frozen long ago. Or was it the fact that he had a naturally expressionless face? That was not his fault, but the fault of genetics. Even his mother had her cold, distant moments.

Which was why Catch was so fascinating…she was a spark of fire, like Blue, while Red's fire only emerged in battle.

Speaking of battle…would it be wise for Catch to battle another trainer at this point? It would be most ideal to go against somebody other than himself, as she needed to gain experience with other battling styles and gain money. He didn't begrudge her the debt, but it would be convenient to have a greater amount of funds at hand.

He woke out of his self-imposed reverie and put his full attention to watching the training.

Red was an expert in multitasking, so while he'd been thinking, he'd also been observing. Mock was gaining in his aim, though the boy noticed that the turtle had a small blind spot in the front…common in those with eyes more off to the side, though his weren't as separated as say, a Rattata's would be. There was really no way to cure it, but it'd be best if Catch were aware of it.

He tilted his head, and looked at Pikachu. The mouse nodded, reading his expression as easily as Red did his Pokémon's. The next time the two took a break, Pikachu would inform Mock of his blind spot.

His gaze slid to the next pair. Colby and Olive. It was impressive how the rat took advantage of his greater intelligence to benefit himself, though in a straight fight, it would be harder to pull off. _Colby's main tactic should be hit-and-run,_ he concluded. Olive worked best in a fair fight, however.

Red wondered if Catch was aware of all this. It was _so_ difficult, sometimes, to figure out what she knew and what she didn't. She seemed so _with it_ sometimes. Other times he wondered _how_ she expected to fight with her appalling lack of skill. Red never thought that she wouldn't realize all this herself. Was he just more inclined to battling than her?

The flyers, well, they were improving also, though the sharp learning curve had flattened out more. Their speedy improvement had mainly been a result of their inexperience, but they had the capacity for agility already. Now, they would learn at a normal pace, though he observed that Granola was a naturally skilled flyer. In Red's opinion, she was one of Catch's better…catches, her skill making up for her difficult personality.

This was also a good experience for Pikachu and Ivysaur. Pikachu had to learn that speed wouldn't save him from everything, and he was lucky it was only bubbles he was dealing with. Ivysaur's dexterity and speed with his vines would improve as well. Vine Whip was a useful move overall…

Analysis finished, he turned to Catch and approached her. She was leaning against a tree, muttering different strategies under her breath. Her eyes flicked up to observe him cautiously.

He masked the confusion he felt at her wariness. What did she think he would do? Or say? _I think you should inform Mock that he has a blind spot directly in front of him. It gets smaller as the distance increases, but he might not be aware of it in general. Also, Colby is suited for hit-and-run combat, and you should reserve Olive for direct fighting. Granola is very agile, but Butter keeps up as well. I suggest you try battling another trainer before the day is done._ He finished with a glance up at the painted sky.

Catch's face paled, before she chuckled lightly. "Oh, you think I'm ready?" Interesting. Why was she so nervous about this? Shouldn't she be excited? Then again, she wasn't him. Or Blue. Or anybody but herself. She was an anomaly, different from the norm, as this world was filled with those who loved to battle.

He turned to his Pokémon, who had stopped and stared at him curiously, and then nodded, relaying the message to the others. He offered a hand to Catch, who took it, and lifted her up, musing briefly on how his mother had drilled manners into him.

Red knew that Route 3 had a few trainers, as he'd seen them, but been stopped by a boy because of his lack of Badges. When they arrived, the boy wasn't there anymore. Red noted a girl with sharp eyes that challenged him to battle. At the sight of her, Catch had paled further. Interesting. Why had her fight-or-flight instincts kicked in?

It was his policy to accept battles, and this hadn't changed, but he wasn't the one who needed the training at the moment. He resolved to finish the fight as soon as possible.

The girl only had a couple of Pidgey, which Pikachu easily decimated. He snorted internally: _This was hardly a fair fight_, and noted his Pikachu had leveled up, learning Quick Attack in the bargain. He decided to replace Growl.

With Pokémon, one had to accept that in order for an attack to be useful at all, they had to specialize their move pool. Four was the optimal number, in this case. Therefore, Pikachu would slowly stop using Growl to focus on Quick Attack.

Red accepted the money she gave, ignoring the bed of compliments she heaped on him to focus on Catch, who was looking strangely…bitter. He wondered why. It was too bad, because although his observation skills were spot-on, when it came to analyzing the contents he was more often wrong than right.

Red had always understood Pokémon more than humans.

He motioned over to a boy with a net, implying that Catch should battle him. Still wearing that bitter look he disliked, the girl approached the boy and started to fight.

As she went up against a Caterpie, a Weedle, and another Caterpie, Red noted with approval that she'd labeled her Poké Balls with stickers, and that she had a Poké Ball bracelet. He frowned: _where did she get the money to buy that?_

Catch also seemed to be concentrating solely on Mock. While it was true that Mock would fight, Brock would also have use of his Geodude, making another Pokémon necessary if she didn't want the turtle to be exhausted. Either Butter or Olive would be fine, though Red preferred Olive, if only for the fact that she didn't have the disadvantage against rock-type moves. Even if Brock had only used one rock-type move against him, it was a powerful one. Then there was the Mankey's trump card…

It was strange, the rules Brock had used against Catch earlier this morning. Usually, trainers were completely unlimited in their Pokémon choice, but it was most likely because Brock didn't have full use of _his_ Pokémon.

Red gave her his advice afterward, ignoring the way the other trainers stared at his use of a notebook to write. Sometimes, people could be annoying. He generally preferred the company of Pokémon to other humans. His mother, Professor Oak, Blue, and Catch were rare exceptions.

Catch then fought using Olive against a boy blathering about shorts. She excelled against his Rattata, but struggled against his Ekans, eventually overpowering the Pokémon.

Red noticed that Catch had slowly started to gain confidence, which was good. She would need it.

They returned to the Pokémon Center tired but happy. Red hoped that they'd be able to battle Brock tomorrow and leave by noon. They'd stayed too long, and who knew how long Mt. Moon would take them?

The next morning, when they arrived at the Gym, Red encouraged her silently with a nod, and watched her step up to face Brock.

"So you're back," his voice boomed. "Well, I don't know how much you'll have improved in a day, but I'm willing to test it!"

And with that, they started.

When he sent his Geodude out, Catch sent out Mock. Brock raised a brow in surprise, but the girl just smiled.

Red approved. Good. It looked like she'd done some thinking before entering, and chose strategy over nostalgia. Then he frowned. _Still, this might have repercussions…Mock is very sensitive for a Pokémon._

"Mock, use Bubble!" the girl cried.

The turtle easily kept pace with the slow Geodude, knocking him out easily. But that was only the warm-up. Now the real challenge would begin.

"Go, Onix!" Brock shouted, and the behemoth from before appeared.

Catch froze in place for a second before recovering, and then sent out Olive.

Brock frowned immediately, sensing her strategy. Unfortunately for him, Mankey were one of the most effective Pokémon to use against his Onix, as their speed was high enough to keep up and their attack was pretty good for being a base evolution. Plus…their ace in the hole.

"Olive, Low Kick!"

"Onix, go underground!"

The rock snake narrowly avoided the attack and dove into the ground. Instead of panicking like she had before, Catch merely waited. The snake couldn't wait forever. Red approved when she realized another way to detect him: vibrations, and called out to her Mankey to sense for them. It was fifty-fifty whether Onix would attack before Olive could react, or whether Olive would be able to move in time.

Unfortunately, Onix was faster. Red stared, fascinated, as he took in the trajectory of the Mankey's flight, her heavy landing, and the rock snake rearing above, ready to strike. If it attacked again, the match would be over. Butter was a risk being part flying, and who knew if Catch would be able to direct her in battle calmly enough to win?

Catch seemed to freeze again at that moment like she had before, with Mock. Red watched her face. Would she panic and lose all reason again?

She shook her head and gritted her teeth, eyes taking on the fire that felt so familiar.

"Olive, move!"

Her voice shook the Mankey out of its frightened stupor, and the Pokémon rushed out of the way at the last second, a hairsbreadth away from forming a Mankey-shaped crater in the ground.

"Low Kick, Olive!" Catch's voice rose in confidence, swelling out in a shout.

"Kiii!" the Pokémon cried, and with a powerful burst of energy, kicked the Onix's side, forcing it to crash into the ground and cause the building to shake.

"Grrrroaaaal!" the snake roared, and rose slowly. Red could tell in a glance that one more move like that would finish it off. Both of them were one blow away from collapse.

"Onix, Tackle!" Brock shouted, sweating now. He knew that he was done for if this move didn't work.

Catch straightened herself, eyes sharpening. She muttered a few words under her breath Red didn't hear, and then yelled, "Now! Side-on Low Kick!"

"Mankey!" the Pokémon jumped out of the way, and tripped the charging snake. Being both large and heavy, it couldn't turn in time to avoid the move, and plummeted to earth once more. An enormous dust cloud surrounded the fighters, and when it cleared, Olive was still standing, though obviously frightened at how close she came to being crushed.

"That was a risky move…" Brock grunted, and Catch's face paled, glancing at Olive and then back to Brock. "Still, taking risks is part of Pokémon battling, and it worked. I'm proud to have fought against you."

"Likewise," Catch nodded, "You are definitely worthy of the title of Gym Leader."

"And you are worthy of the title of trainer," Brock smiled. "What's your name?"

"Catch," the girl beamed.

"Well then, Catch, I'm proud to present to you…the official Pokémon League BoulderBadge!"

Red watched her receive it, and nodded to himself. It looked like she had improved.

"So, did you help her?"

The boy turned, and looked at the man who had spoken. The unobtrusive suit.

"She couldn't have improved so fast without your help. But is that wise?" the man voiced what he himself had wondered. "After all, you're raising her up to be a rival, even if she's nowhere near your level _now_."

Red blinked. _He's right…so far I've been putting it off by the thought that she's still weak…but if I keep helping her, will I gain two rivals, then?_

He smiled, slowly, and something in his expression must have frightened the other man, as he backed up. _If I cannot even handle two rivals, I'll never be able to become the League Champion. After all…_

He glanced at the two Rhydon statues. _It is my dream!_

Red turned away, his earlier determination replaced with pain. _Shoot!_

He had to make it out of the Gym first. Leaving the building, he slid to the ground, eyes fluttering before curtaining the glimpse of raven hair and angry eyes that flashed red.

* * *

More character profiles.

_Catch M. Hall: shorttext*com/cgLhun_

_Red: shorttext*com/G2w2f8_

_Blue Oak: shorttext*com/RkTur7_

**Thank you to SmileRen, Totodileawesomeness, kenegi, Searching for Enadi, RandomCitizen, Lord Cow-Cow, Gembell, TammyHybrid21, nostalgicCyanide, and colbub for reviewing! :D**

As you can see by the chapter title, there WILL be more Red chapters. At least one more, though I don't know when it will arise. Next chapter for sure is from Catch's POV.


	21. Collapses and Excuses

Chapter 21: Collapses and Excuses

When I received the Badge, I felt really happy, but I was also scared. This was the first step. I had taken the first step toward becoming a true trainer, and it terrified me.

I wasn't good enough to warrant a TM. After all, this _was_ a rematch. But I didn't care. TM or not, I had received a Badge.

The realization hit me as I started to walk away. I was becoming _integrated_ into this world. I wondered…if by the time I received all eight Badges, if I'd be inextricably entwined, unable to escape.

I shuddered. I did not want that. Not want. Not. Want.

I'd just approached the Rhydon statues when the strange feeling came again. The one that caused me to fall in hysterics before. Glancing around, I saw the whole room warp and shift before my widened eyes.

Brock was now garbed in a white shirt and navy blue cargo pants and red-and-white sneakers. The green-clothed boy was relatively the same, and the frightening suited guy still wore his suit, tie, and glasses.

But the room had changed _so much_.

Instead of the mixture of tile and scree, it was all tiles, with boulders lining the walls. Then the scene flickered, and suddenly we were in a circular room with rock shelving and pillars supporting a high roof.

I watched in horror as Red's appearance changed to that of a raven-haired kid and then back to the familiar brown-haired boy I was used to.

He staggered before leaving the warping building through a door that flickered between sliding glass and the regular slab type.

And then I ran. I ran for the door, regardless of the fact that it seemed to get farther and closer all at once, and grasped onto the doorknob, turning it…

And opened it to another world.

Well, at least it felt like it.

The whole outside of Pewter kept shifting and warping and changing. The buildings would become more angular, and then more rounded, and the colors kept moving around.

But that mattered less than the boy collapsed on the ground, clutching his head.

"Red!" I shouted, the words distorting as they left my mouth.

He snapped his eyes open, and I gasped as I saw they were red. Bright, blood red.

I backed up, and watched him writhe on the ground for a second before reality kicked in. "Red, Red are you all right?"

And then, just like that, the warping left and the world resumed its course. It almost felt like it'd never happened, except that Red was still lying on the ground.

There was something seriously wrong going on.

What exactly _was_ going on?

Red struggled to his feet and peered around blearily, a look I'd _never_ seen on his face. His gaze snapped to me, and I struggled to hold it, but I had to check. I had to see…

Brown. Regular. Brown.

He groaned and looked away, holding his head and shuddering.

"Red…are you all right?" I repeated, voice softer this time.

He looked at me, and I saw weakness for the first time. It unsettled me. And then he blinked, and he was the ice man again. Turning to the side, he shook his head.

I gaped. Was he just going to leave it at that? Obviously _something_ was wrong! Besides that whole ripple thing…

I sighed internally. _Save me from the stubbornness of men._ I ignored the fact that I could be just as stubborn. I wasn't in the mood to admit self-hypocrisy.

We healed up at the Center, and I took that chance to check my email. It'd been less than two days, so I had little hope, but I decided to do so anyway.

_No new messages…bummer. Well, we'll just have to see. It feels like these anomalies are getting worse and worse, and lasting longer too. Gawd, Professor Oak needs to hurry his butt up and figure out what's going on! And why is Red being affected too? Before, it was only me!_

We stopped at the Mart to go shopping. I bought five Poké Balls while Red used up most of his money on buying a few Poké Balls, an Awakening, a Burn Heal, and an Escape Rope.

While there, I realized I had P1715…enough to pay Red back. I shook my head. _I need more Poké Balls…completing the Pokédex takes precedence over everything…_

_You're just saying that as an excuse…_ a voice whispered in my head. _The truth is, you don't want to leave the only person you're close enough with to call a friend here…_

I ignored the voice. But it was right. I didn't. But I'd have to, wouldn't I? If I wanted to stay, I'd have to not hold him back…and that'd be impossible. Compared to Red, _everybody_ was weak. The only person that _might_ not hold him back…would be Green.

"Are we heading to Route 3 now?" I asked Red cheerily, pasting a smiling mask on. My insides churned with doubt. _Is this wise? Maybe we should stay at the Center and rest up…after what happened today…_

He nodded.

I sighed, and gave up. We were stopped by one of Oak's aides, who handed Red a pair of running shoes, before continuing on. _I hope we don't meet up with that girl again…_ Bitterness jolted through me, but the sting of her differential treatment softened in light of these disturbing ripples.

Unfortunately, when we entered the familiar clearing, that girl was still there.

She raised an eyebrow at me, and then turned to look at Red, a bright grin spreading wide on her face like a cancer. "Oh, hello! Do you remember me?"

Red glanced at me briefly before looking at her, and nodded.

"You were so good, you know! And you have a _Pikachu_! Those are super-rare!"

Said Pokémon purred, basking in the attention. I shot a glare at it. _Little punk…make stupid faces at me but get all friendly with that girl, huh?_

"Red, let's move on," I muttered. "We need to get to Mt. Moon."

The boy looked at me before nodding at the girl and walking uphill with me.

"Wait!" she shouted. "You're going to Mt. Moon? Let me come with! I want to catch a Clefairy there!"

"Of course it'd be a girly Pokémon like that…" I muttered, shaking my head. "Do all female trainers in this world only like cute Pokémon? How disgusting…"

"Excuse me, _Miss_?" she hissed softly as she passed me. "I must have _mis_heard."

I rolled my eyes and continued walking.

Somehow that girl became part of our group. She introduced herself as Janice, and made a point to ignore me unless she wanted to be annoying. I felt a bit bad, since I knew I hadn't been the friendliest myself, but I was also annoyed with her. Why did everybody have to treat Red so nicely and me like dirt? It got a bit old…

We battled other trainers, and while Red decimated the competition, Janice and I had to make do with those that had been too late to challenge him. I battled a kid with a Caterpie and a Metapod using Granola.

We also made a few new catches. While Red caught a Nidoran male (which he decided to box), I caught Jigglypuff and a Nidoran female.

Pepper, my Nidoran, also ended up being my first Pokémon transported to the storage system. Cream Puff the Jigglypuff got to stay, and I rolled my eyes when I saw her nature. _Impish. Of course._

I'd have thought she'd prefer to stick to Granola, but surprisingly, she didn't. Nope. Instead she decided to make it her life's goal to pester _me_.

"Cream Puff, what the heck are you _doing_?" I asked when she made a point to climb on my head.

I could swear that Granola was watching me smugly. As if to say: Ha! At least I wasn't as bad as _her_!

_No…_ I silently replied. _But you aren't helping any by just standing there watching, either!_

When we approached the base of the mountain, we healed up at the Center, and ignored the Magikarp hawker. We were too poor for frivolous spending.

I decided to deposit Butter. As much as I liked her, it made sense to cycle through Pokémon once they evolved so that I could complete my Pokédex all the sooner. I also chose to withdraw Pepper, because even though she required a Moon Stone to evolve into a Nidoqueen, she just needed to level-up to become a Nidorina.

As for Cream Puff…well, when I tried to deposit her, she flat-out refused to go…what a pain.

I'd made use of that time to organize my boxes and label them, putting Butter in the "Forest" zone. The boxes were supposed to match their theme, so that meant, in the world of virtual reality, Butter would be flying around in a forest.

"Okay, Cream Puff, time to go into your ball now," I spoke, eye twitching. That Jigglypuff had decided it'd be amusing to send everybody in the Pokémon Center to sleep, and I'd just woken up from an impromptu nap against the PC.

"Puff!" she shook her head and glared at me.

_Another troublemaker…_ I sighed internally.

As it was too troublesome to convince her, I eventually gave up, but inside, I was plotting. _Hm… If I give her berries laced with spores…maybe…but then I'd have to withdraw Butter and level her up…how troublesome…maybe Ivysaur will work with me… Then again, this Pokémon's pretty crafty, so if I suddenly did this…_

Needless to say, my musings got me nowhere.

When we entered Mt. Moon, I also caught a Geodude and a Zubat right away. My Geodude was a girl I named Rock Candy, while the Zubat was a male named Vin. They were both automatically transported for storage to the "Forest" box, which I would change later.

The whole place looked eerily beautiful in a way. I'd always liked caves, and this place was no exception. Sheer brown cliffs sloped around us, and the whole place was lit by well-placed lanterns on the ceiling and odd opening here or there to the outside world.

The first Clefairy we saw went to Janice, who squealed like a banshee over it. Groaning, I uncovered my ears and tripped. "Owie…"

Looking down, I saw a disc. "Oh, hey, Red! Do you want this?" I tossed it.

Catching it without effort, the boy glanced at it and nodded, putting it away. I wondered briefly what TM it was before tripping again. "What the—?"

It was a Paras.

"Paaaaar…" it whined, and I smiled, catching it immediately. I had plenty of Poké Balls, with three left after the capture.

The little guy, Shiitake, was immediately boxed, and I relaxed to continue exploring Mt. Moon with the others. So far, not much had happened. Red had battled a few trainers, but that was it. I couldn't help but chuckle when Janice complained that Red stole all the trainers. At least I wasn't the only one that noticed.

Fortunately, there were plenty of wild Pokémon to battle. Although I missed having Butter around, Mock, and Olive proved themselves against the Geodude we went against. Zubat and Paras were taken care of by Colby, Granola, Cream Puff (who I decided to call Puff for short), and Pepper (who hadn't learned any fighting-moves yet). We were a pretty good team, if I said so myself. Despite Puff's stubborn personality, she was good at directing her voice so that only enemies would fall asleep.

It was when we hit the first ladder down that our luck turned sour.

By then, Janice had gotten so fed up with Red stealing all the trainers that she had left us for the entrance. She told us that she wanted to train in Route 3 a bit more before tackling Mt. Moon proper, a fitting thing since she only had the two Pidgey and her Clefairy.

I watched her leave with mixed feelings. On one hand, she hadn't been half bad company. It'd been nice to know I wasn't the only one bothered by Red's obsession with battling. Over the course of her little sojourn her admiration had changed to wariness and she had even whispered to me that only a non-battling freak like me could travel with a battling freak like him.

I had to agree with her. Well, Green might be able to accompany Red as well out of sheer stubbornness. Then again, I had this horrible feeling that the two of them would kill each other before they got _anywhere_.

On the other hand, it was better that the girl had left us then. Before plot happened.

Like what we were facing now.

"We, Team Rocket, are gangsters! We strike fear with our strength!"

How had it come to this? Well, it all started with a trip down the ladder.

"Why do they have such horrible, rickety ladders?" I complained. "Plus, why do they have ladders at all? What cave has a bunch of floors with just holes and ladders in convenient locations that lead to convenient rooms that connect conveniently to exits? Doesn't this make no sense?"

Red listened to me ramble with his emotionless face like usual, but I thought I detected a twitch of the lips that meant a wide smile for other people. He shook his head in agreement, and I grinned. _I'm not the only person that thinks this whole world is strange. I mean, why couldn't they have found a way to make this place easier to navigate if it's as trafficked as it seems?_

Alas, no answers were forthcoming from my silent, stalwart companion.

After that, we had to descend _another _stupid ladder, only to hear a freaky chuckle from up ahead.

I peered around the ladder, cursing under my breath. _Shoot! I'd gotten so disgruntled with the ladders that I completely forgot about these guys!_"

"Well, well, well…a pair of brats. What are you doing here? Looking for fossils as well?"

"Fossils?" I asked, caught off guard. "No, we're just trying to get through to the other side."

"Likely story!" the man snarled, and through the dim light from the lanterns we could make out a shift in movement.

"Do not underestimate us! We, Team Rocket, are gangsters! We strike fear with our strength!"

Now, in the games, I held contempt for these guys. I mean, who gives away their identity like that? Plus, they were such _weaklings_. Here and now, however, it was a different story.

As much as it pained me, we were two kids. Two _eleven_-_year_-_old_ kids. This guy we were going up against was a full-blown adult. Not an old guy, probably in his early twenties, but still, it was a huge difference. He could probably take care of us both by himself. The only trump card we held was our Pokémon. That was the only reason why Red in the games wasn't a bloody smear on the ground or one of those "disappeared kids." It was Pokémon.

And in the end, I wondered if a world full of Pokémon was so bad when it gave kids the means to fight back against groups like Team Rocket.

"Go, Sandshrew!"

A Sandshrew! I looked on in jealousy as the Pokémon appeared. I'd always loved ground-type Pokémon, and Sandshrew was no exception. Come on, a pangolin slash armadillo Pokémon that turned into a badass hedgehog slash porcupine slash whatever! I was bitter that I couldn't catch one in Route 3 like I wanted to, but if I remembered rightly; they'd changed that from the original games when FireRed and LeafGreen came out. My memory was a bit hazy because I'd mainly played the original games, and had only started FireRed recently. How recently was it again…?

Whatever. Poor memory aside, I was jealous of a Rocket Grunt's Pokémon. What would it be called if I stole from somebody who'd probably stolen his _own_ Pokémon? Snagging? Oh well. Since I wasn't in Orre and wasn't awesome like Wes or Michael I guess I'd have to make do with something else. Like catching one on my own. Sigh…

Red had automatically called out Ivysaur and I let him. Regardless of their weakness in-game, I didn't want to tangle with these men here and now. It occurred to me how brave Red was being, but…

_Is he just seeing this as another battle? Another obstacle to pass? If so, how can I tell? I guess playing the games really gives one the same mindset that Red must feel._

It was so easy to be brave when it was just a game, though. Not so easy in real life.

I had six Pokémon with me, though. I had nothing to worry about. Rather, Red was the one who, having only two, should be concerned. But he wasn't. He was just as calm and frigid as before.

Sometimes he worried me.

As per usual, he swept through the guy's team of a Sandshrew, Ratatta, and Zubat without blinking. Such skill was really too impressive. And terrifying. Janice's words rang in my head.

_"That boy is just too terrifying. How can you stand traveling with him?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"He's like…a robot. A robot that cares only for battling. How can you _not_ notice that?"_

_"I…"_

_"I can see now why you said what you did back then. About never being able to be the best. It's because you travel with somebody who cares for nothing but battling. His whole life revolves around it. I bet he hardly eats and sleeps. To him, life is just an endless battle. It's obvious who's going to be the best."_

_"I…" I had no words of defense for the boy in the red cap. No words to dispute the truth._

_"And that's why I'm leaving," she said shortly._

_"I…what?"_

_"I can't stand being around him," she grumbled. "He takes all the trainers, never leaving any for us. He can't turn down any challenge that comes his way. Being around him…I can't grow as a trainer. If you care for your future as one, you should leave him too. However…if you just want to walk constantly in his shadow…then stay. Stay with Mr. Prodigy. But I'm going."_

_When we looped back up to the first ladder, she left us there, giving me a look of reminder._

_I could say nothing in the face of her scorching gaze._

I gulped. I still hadn't figured out what I wanted to do. I'd claimed I'd stay until I could pay him back, but… I'd let that chance slip by. Why?

Because Red was my friend.

I couldn't just _leave_ the only human friend I'd made here. Right?

_But_, I realized with a heavy heart, _I might just have to._

I nodded my head. It was settled. When I got enough money to pay him back, I would do so, and leave. No excuses this time. _None_.

I needed hidden machines to be able to collect all the Pokémon, and for those, I needed Gym Badges. For Gym Badges, I needed to be a strong trainer. Strong enough to be exceptional. And I could never be that around Red.

I sighed, lowering my head. I didn't _want_ this. I hated abandoning friends. But I wouldn't really be abandoning him, right? Just…leaving. Temporarily. We'd see each other again. At the Indigo Plateau. I'd watch him battle, cheer him on, and by then maybe I would've caught a bunch of Pokémon.

I ignored the fact that I would still have to complete the National Pokédex, and capture both the second and third generations. Oak hadn't mentioned the fourth or fifth ones (or heck, even a sixth one if there was one yet to come out) so I assumed this all played out like my FireRed game.

This would be _so_ hard. _What_ had I gotten myself into? Ugh…

When Red finished battling the Grunt, the guy just…caved in. I watched him warily, suspecting a sneak attack, but none came. These guys really were kind of pathetic, or maybe not. He knew he had no chance against Pokémon, especially with none of his own.

We collected a Star Piece, and then returned to the ground level. While walking through the maze that was this cave, I decided to ask something.

"Hey, Red?"

He glanced at me, but kept walking.

"What do you think about…this Team Rocket?" Already we'd heard about them from people we'd met, whispering in Centers, clucking over newspapers. I wanted to know Red's opinion.

He stared ahead, brow furrowing, head tipped in his general "thinking" pose. It was hard for him to write in the dark so I rarely addressed him directly like this, but I couldn't help wondering.

Fortunately, his Pikachu, which refused to enter its ball most of the time, was a surefire link to Red's feelings. Plus, it was very…expressive.

I watched Pikachu make various poses. Frown…so Red didn't like them. Ears laid back…correction, Red was _mad_ about them. Cheeks sparking…he wanted to do something about them. Fist punch…he _would_ do something about them.

I wasn't surprised at his reaction. Even I, a newcomer to this world, was a bit ticked off. Team Rocket's goal was basically stealing and exploiting Pokémon to get money and eventually world power. It was about as corrupt as you could get.

When we met a girl who used all grass Pokémon I wanted to battle her, but Red, as usual, decided to handle it. I felt frustrated just watching him and the earlier feelings came up again. Should I stay or should I go? Maybe it'd be best to address this directly before making a huge decision. But then again, hadn't I already made my decision? Why was I so unsure about this?

"Hey, Red…?" I asked.

The boy dipped his head to show he was listening.

"Um…you don't need to battle every single trainer you come across. You can save your strength…I know your Pokémon must get worn out…and…well…I can take over sometimes…when you're tired."

I felt like such an awkward child, but in truth I was. I hated confrontations, and was really bad at them unless I was in rage mode. During those times, I was braver than brave. Or more correctly: rasher than rash. Otherwise I was as timid as a mouse.

Pikachu made a face. _Reluctance._ He cocked his head to the side. _Confusion_. He suddenly bolted upright and chirped. _Realization_. He frowned. _Concern_. And then, while still frowning, he widened his eyes to form something similar to "puppy eyes." _I'm sorry._

"Oh no, it's okay," I grinned, holding my hands up in placation. How strange yet fitting it was that Pikachu acted as a medium for Red's emotions.

_Are you sure?_ Pikachu mimed.

"Yes," I answered. "You don't need to take it so hard, Red. I know you like battling."

_Regret…_

"Don't," I asserted. "It's all right. I'm just…concerned about you." That wasn't entirely true. I _had_ been bitter about being shunted off to the side, but Red didn't need to know that.

He stared straight ahead, and I didn't need Pikachu to read the determination in his face. He'd never let something as simple as _exhaustion_ get him down. But…in the end, I was glad that he had Pokémon. He would care for them, and when they got tired, he would stop. I felt like they were the "safeties" on him. Without them, he could overwork himself into exhaustion. Then again, they were the reason for his working in the first place, so it was kind of confusing.

We descended the ladder, and I realized that Red had never given me an answer. But it was all right. At least he knew about the problem now. Maybe…with this, I _could_ stay with Red?

_Or maybe I'm just making excuses again. How pathetic am I?_

_Very_, I answered silently.

That was when I saw the Clefairy and the Rocket Grunt that was chasing after it.

I didn't know then that that would be the start of my departure from Red's path…and into another.

o2o2

Omake 2: Download

Butter had always assumed she'd be traveling with her trainer the whole way. Therefore, it had come as a great shock when Catch, with a sad smile, had informed her that she'd be the first one boxed.

She'd been so proud when she had evolved. Ever since Catch had saved her from Granola, she had looked up to and admired the kind human being that looked down when she walked and thought nothing of saving measly worms from her own Pokémon. That was why she had wanted to evolve, to make herself stand out amongst her peers as a good Pokémon to have.

But it turned out that that had the opposite effect from what she wanted.

She hadn't caught all of what Catch had said, but Mock, who understood human almost perfectly, interpreted for her. He told her that since she had reached her final evolutionary stage, Catch, who was trying to collect data on all the Pokémon species, needed to box her to make way for others.

She hadn't understood everything that that meant, but she knew enough to know that it was her evolution, her pride and joy, that had caused this.

When another Pokémon joined her, a strange blue thing with large ears like Colby, she'd been happy for the company, until said Pokémon was withdrawn. Afterward, Butter herself had withdrawn into a corner of the fake forest she was in. She would trade all of this: the sweet, heady air, the large-leafed trees, the gentle susurrus of wind through branches, and the flowers with their nectar. All of it to be by her trainer's side again.

But that was not to be.

Why had she been abandoned?

When a talking rock, a strange creature with even stranger wings (not feathery like Granola's or gossamer like hers, but veined in strange ways), and an orange creature with spotted lumps on his back had joined her, she'd been wary, sure they would be withdrawn as well, but nothing happened.

All three of them had been like her, living alone, on the edges, no flock to speak of. They introduced themselves one by one. The rock-thing was a Geodude named Rock Candy, the strange-winged creature a Zubat named Vin, and the last, that thing that scuttled like a fellow insect was a Paras named Shiitake.

[I'm Butter] she had said, and realized something. She wasn't alone. Catch _hadn't_ abandoned her. She had given her friends. And from what Mock said, there would be many more coming.

* * *

I probably shouldn't need to say this, but I will anyway: since Catch entered the Pokémon world before X and Y were advertised, she has no knowledge on sixth generation Pokémon. She doesn't squeal over Sylveon, nor does she awe over Xerneas, so yeah.

**I should like to say my thanks to kenegi, Lord Cow-Cow, nostalgicCyanide, Kai-Chan94, SmileRen, Searching for Enadi, RandomCitizen, Gembell, Kiyiamayu, Fallen Vanguard, TheKawaiiStar21, awesomeness127, Totodileawesomeness, one who walks the path of fire, and Guest.**


	22. Fairies and Headhunters

Chapter 22: Fairies and Headhunters

Sometimes I wondered to myself whether Professor Oak was on drugs when he told me that "theory" of his.

I mean, catch all the Pokémon, complete the Pokédex, and you go home.

Sounds like some pie in the sky scenario, am I right?

But it was all I had to go on.

Even if it meant capturing some…well…unwanted Pokémon.

Like Clefairy.

One of the few acknowledged "alien" Pokémon, aside from choice others such as Deoxys or Elgyem. But whereas the other two were seen in a more negative light: Deoxys being a virus and Elgyem bearing a resemblance to the aliens from South Park (plus Beeheeyem looked damn creepy), Clefairy and its evolution were…well…moon fairies.

At least the other two were honest about their alien-ness (which _so_ deserved to be an actual word). Clefairy and Clefable however, passed themselves off as some abominable mixture of Jigglypuff and Kirby with wings. It was as if their creators had carefully crafted the cutest, most cupcakey, vomit-rainbows-from-the-mouth creature that they could, all in a pretty, plush pink package.

It was horrifying. What was even more horrifying was that it _worked_.

I'd met a few "Ne, I liekz kawaii desu and sparkle pretty pink ponies plz" girls since coming to this place. Their mascot: Clefairy.

I hadn't shared my theory with anybody yet, but I was sure that this must be the result of some fiendish plot to brainwash all preteen girls and create an army of vapid, spacey clones to wreak havoc upon the planet.

What was scary was that, eight years ago, I would've been one of them.

You cannot resist the power of ponies or bubblegum princesses at that age. No, seriously. I have a theory that a girl's immune system to such things only fully develops after either the allure of makeup and lipstick or black hair dye completely takes over, depending on one's preference. Then comes the hipster glasses and then we're all screwed.

Okay, so maybe I wasn't so serious about that. But even now, I couldn't remember for the life of me _why_ I liked ponies and princesses at that age. I just did. I even…gasp…liked Clefairy. Not for its appearance, though (even then it struck me as _too_ cute, _too_ pink). I mainly valued it for its rarity. It was the same reason I'd been obsessed with Dratini.

As a former victim of the "cutie curse" as I was now calling it, I had a duty to enlighten my brethren as to why the pink germ had to be stopped. Before it was too late.

_So_ I'm prone to melodrama. But this particular Clefairy had caused me enough trouble to justify my ravings.

The Rocket Grunt stopped mid-chase when he noticed us. Red eyed the man while I eyed the Pokémon.

Yes, that sounds weird, and yes, shouldn't it be the other way around? Well, kids, this world ain't normal.

And yes, I know that's not a word either.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand.

The man scowled, shifting into a battle stance. "This Clefairy's mine! Get lost, kids."

I glared back reflexively before remembering: _evil criminal organization Catch. You don't glare at gangsters, no matter how much they suck._

I settled for a blank face, mouth twitching at the incoming image of the guy with his pants down to his knees. _Not those gangsters, the Italian ones. Like the Vongola. But under the Secondo, not Primo. I wouldn't call Team Rocket a group of vigilantes._

"Do you not understand the meaning of 'get lost?'" the harsh, grating voice jarred me back to reality. Or at least as _reality_ as it gets around here.

I blame what happened next on Green. Exchanging barbs with spiky-haired jerks does not a demure wallflower make.

"Oh, we hear you all right," I snapped. "_Unfortunately_ for our ears."

Red shot me a look.

"What was that? You trying to pick a fight?"

I opened my mouth. "Oh, you'd know if—" I forced a mental wall between my snark and the gaping insult generator that was my mouth. My frequent foot-in-mouth tendencies were inconvenient at times. Though it helped when a certain brunette gave you _the_ _look_.

It's the look idiots the world over receive daily, the look disobedient children receive from their mothers, the look people like me get from those with wiser heads when insulting dangerous men. Yes.

Spiky-haired jerks one can afford to insult. Gangsters, one cannot.

At least I had a badass to back me up though.

I really should stop relying on Red; otherwise he'll become my caretaker for real.

The Rocket Grunt grit his teeth and gave up on pursuing the Clefairy to face us, eyes shadowed beneath his cap.

So I guess you can say things are getting pretty serious.

Okay. Shutting up now.

"Zubat, Ekans, go!" he ordered. "Zubat, go after that Clefairy. Ekans, attack these fools who dare to mess with Team Rocket!"

"Yadda yadda," I yawned. "I've heard all of this before." It was just one Ekans against us. _Though maybe I should concentrate on the Clefairy instead._

I never liked the whole shout-out-your-Pokémon's-name thing. Wouldn't it give your opponent a clue about what your Pokémon would be then? Especially if you didn't use nicknames. The only reason I could come up with was that it let your Pokémon know that you were releasing them on purpose, but wouldn't they already know that?

Also, the only reason I did it was because everybody else was doing it. Yep. I'm a bandwagon sort of gal, especially if it looks like fun. Still, in this case, it was better to refrain. Especially with a gangster for an opponent. Who knew what he would do?

While the Rocket Grunt's eyes had slid immediately to Red, acknowledging him as the greater threat (even though I'd been the one shooting my mouth off), I released Granola. My mind, which had been working faster lately (attributed to Red's training, no doubt) had immediately decided using her against another flyer was my best bet for a surefire and quick victory. My other Pokémon hadn't yet learned any long-range moves (except for Mock, who might attract unwanted attention, and Puff, whose only long-range move was Sing and I didn't want to risk falling asleep here), so Granola it was.

The Pidgey flapped up to my shoulder, where I scratched her crest feathers. She seemed to enjoy it, despite not being a touchy-feely bird. That was the only place though. Anywhere else and you got nipped.

"Hey, Granola," I lowered my voice and then discreetly pointed at the Zubat, currently harassing the Clefairy. "Sic 'em."

I giggled madly when it worked. Oh my. I had my own guard bird now. Now I could take over the worl—I mean, defend myself against muggers. Yeah. Pepper spray was unneeded when you could ask an overgrown pigeon to claw their eyes out. And maybe poop on them afterward.

The Zubat, as you might have guessed, didn't last long. None could stand against the almighty Granola Bar, the healthiest bird in the West.

Now it was the Clefairy's turn. My mouth quirked up in a grin, fingers clenching a spare Poké Ball. That overgrown pixie was going down!

"No! Zubat!" the man cried before glaring at me. He had his hands full at the moment with Red, however. Turns out purple snakes are quite susceptible to being charbroiled with electricity.

"Granola, we need to capture this Clefairy, so don't be too rough," I simultaneously pointed out the next target and warned my Pokémon how to handle it. I could be so efficient sometimes.

"Fairy!" the Pokémon squeaked, and bounced away from our group, toward the curving walls of the cave and—oh snap!

"Granola, don't let it get away!" I shouted, running after the pink devil.

The winged freak sprang from the pockmarked ground to the tiered walls as lightly as if it were on the moon itself. I, myself, was not so lucky. My fingers scrabbled against the sloped sides of the cavern for purchase, and my climb was undignified at best. By the time I scaled the top, I realized I had just done the impossible for video games.

I had climbed the _walls_.

Nothing could stop me now. _Nothing_.

Shooing away images of mannequins and dancing cats, I leapt out of my action-hero pose straight to my frantic-running pose. I was behind schedule: the Clefairy and Granola were way ahead of me.

And thus began the Great Chase.

That little bugger was _fast_. What was worse, it liked to bounce into Rocket Grunts and I would have to dodge purple stingers and supersonic waves while still keeping my balance and running ahead of the growing crowd of annoyed criminals. That took _talent_. Or fear. Either way.

Also. Geodude. Those Pokémon were _annoying_. Looking like harmless rocks until you stubbed your toe on them. Not only did you have to deal with a stubbed toe, but also an angry Pokémon woken from its nap. Two for the price of one! Yippee…

Somehow I managed to make it to the end, performing a hit-and-run (that super nerd didn't need those fossils anyway), and finally capturing the pink fairy.

Said pink fairy I named Sugar, and I decided she would _not_ become one of my battlers. Besides, she only needed a Moon Stone to evolve.

Afterward, not really relishing the idea of going back inside the mountain (where I would most certainly be set upon by angry Rockets), I wandered eastern Route 4, picking up a couple of berries, a Great Ball, and a Technical Machine I would give Red.

I also caught myself a mild female Sandshrew I nicknamed Sandwich.

Looking up at the afternoon sky, which blazed the perfect blue of a polished aquamarine, I decided now was the _time_.

"What time is it?" I announced while marching through Cerulean. "Adventure Time!" _And_ _time to leave the nest and start flying on my own!_

I would prove that I _could_ survive without Red.

I ignored the small, quiet voice that spoke. _But you still owe him money, and it's _safer_ with him._

I'd leave money with Bill or something. But I couldn't stay.

_I'm just a sapling in the shade of an oak. I need to uproot myself and grow on my own or I'll never forgive myself for relying on others all my life._ I nodded to myself, and then, seeking distraction, glanced around.

Cerulean City was soothing. Except for the center, mart, Gym, and bike shop, the buildings here were a mixture of cream and blue. The colors reminded me of some European palaces I'd visited, the interiors often being a brilliant mixture of powder blue, gold, and cream. That memory lent a touch of class to these otherwise unobtrusive single stories. The clipped hedges and white picket fences lining perfectly mowed lawns told me that this was a suburb.

_Well, it _is_ on the outskirts of two major cities_, I thought. Plus, the quiet river and seaside view just screamed: "American Dream. Where we cut kids in half to get your perfect two-point-five."

Coming from a suburb myself, I immediately relaxed in these surroundings. _Hmm, Red would probably be amazed at the whole _eleven_ buildings here, _I snorted internally. _Anything's big when you come from a place like Pallet. What is it with Pokémon games and small town heroes anyway? Do they think they have to prove themselves or something, and _that's_ why they become heroes?_

It was food for thought, but by then I'd reached the bridge, so I put it in the refrigerator.

"Hey, there!" a boy wearing the telltale hat of a "bug catcher" waved at me.

One thing I found interesting was that the trainers here classified _themselves_, or rather they referred to themselves as a "lass" or a "picnicker." It was something I'd discovered after talking to Janice about it. Far from being insulted at their labels, rather, they were proud, because it was how they wanted to be viewed.

As a person who tended to see human beings as constantly-changing _amoebas_ rather than a label, it was a strange adjustment to make. But to the trainers, their "trainer class" was one of the most important part of themselves. I guess it could be likened to how people from…my world dressed and acted according to their label. As for me, I'd never pigeonholed myself under any category, or even multiple ones, and I couldn't see why somebody would want to. Wouldn't that be stifling? You would always have to act a certain way to uphold the label, so you wouldn't have the freedom to do what you want.

When I told Red this, he just smiled and shook his head. It was good that he was smiling more (I'd been watching him like a hawk since the accident) but I had no clue what was so funny. After all, he didn't really have a trainer class either, except maybe "trainer" or "hero."

Back in reality, I waved distractedly at the bug catcher. I got caught up in thought easily when left to myself, making me a bit of a cloudcuckoolander at times.

"Hey! People call this the Nugget Bridge! Beat us five trainers and win a fabulous prize! Think you got what it takes?"

"Hm, what? Oh, yeah," I replied automatically. "You'll see."

I definitely had what it took. Especially when my opponent used bugs that should've reached their final evolution but hadn't for some reason and I used an alpha-level bird. Yep.

"I did my best. I have no regrets!" the boy intoned when I finished. Raising a brow at this (and remembering that the others all replied the same way) I started to wonder if the whole mindless drone thing hadn't already started. And didn't they have connections to Team Rocket?

That was odd. And a bit terrifying as well.

My next opponent, a lass reminding me of Janice, stepped forward arrogantly. "I'm second! Now it's serious!"

Was it really?

One thing I liked about battles _here_ versus the games: I could let my opponent call out their Pokémon first. Actually, according to Red, there was a slew of battle etiquette over that one action. If you are up against somebody and let him or her go first, it's seen as a sign of respect. Whereas, if he or she goes first without prior agreement, it's seen as a sign of arrogance or confidence. Gym Leaders always go first, newbies almost always second. Experienced trainers can tell at a glance whether another trainer has more experience or so on, and choose the release order from there. Feuds have been formed over insults made through this.

Now, granted, this was only about who calls out a Pokémon first. After that, for attacking, it's whoever's quickest. Like a duel, I guess.

It reminded me of my mother's strident efforts to make me a lady. She'd even bought me a book (the only thing I remembered from said book being not to insult another person's mother, and isn't that obvious anyway? Though, not like anybody follows it anymore what with all the "your mom" jokes out there). Point is, manners, no matter how annoying they were to remember and follow, were just things you had to use to get along with people who thought them important. And here, with Pokémon battles and their etiquette being an important thing, knowing the "rules of the game" so to speak, was important as well.

That's why it was so surprising when all these bridge kids brought out their Pokémon first. Most of the people who'd challenged Red and me had let us go first. It was only the cocky, overconfident ones that decided otherwise. Challengers have priority in choosing release order: they can choose whether to release a Pokémon first or wait for you to do so. As the one challenged it's polite to go along with their decision. Still, going first had been a rarity among the challengers.

Maybe it was because I wasn't Red. His aura could make any would-be challenger pause.

My challenger sent out a Pidgey, and I released Mock. A few Water Guns, which he had learned in the mountain, and the bird was down. I liked that attack. It was quick, relatively strong, and was a lot more likely to hit the target than Bubble. And, with my evasion training and Red's aim training, the turtle could quickly roll out of the way whenever attacks neared and resume right where he left off.

The lass's other Pokémon, an Oddish and a Bellsprout, made me send out Granola again, who swept through the both of them like…well…a whirlwind.

After parroting what the bug catcher had said, she gave me my reward money and I moved on to the next trainer.

And so it went. Healing every so often, I slogged my way through all five trainers. The hardest match had to be with those stupid Nidoran another lass had used. With their Poison Point ability, I'd had little choice but to use Pepper, my own Nidoran. She'd struggled through with barely a metaphorical sliver of health left.

And now I made it. I'd gone back to heal after the fifth and last trainer, and walked to the end of the bridge to spot a shifty-looking boy dressed up like a Pokémon Mart employee, red apron and all.

"Congratulations!" he praised. "You beat our five contest trainers! You just earned a fabulous prize!"

"Oh, really?" I drawled. "Cool."

He handed me a shiny golden nugget.

Wow. I could definitely pay Red back with the money I got from this. Or the mushrooms I'd found in the mountain and on the Paras I caught.

"By the way," he started, "How would you like to join Team Rocket? We're a group of professional criminals specializing in Pokémon."

I stared. Wow. _Real_ good advertising there. At least if the roles were reversed I'd try to be somewhat _subtle_ about it. Then again, the infamy of Team Rocket might be seen as attractive to certain people.

_Or it might be this kid's one-way ticket to the nearest youth detention center._

"Um, hate to be the bearer of the obvious, but there's a policeman right down in the city," I jabbed my thumb over my shoulder. "Aren't you being a bit noticeable?"

"Pfft, them?" he scoffed. "The cops 'round here are a bunch of two-bit wimps. Wouldn't know how to take a real crook even if we was blindfolded."

Well. That wasn't good. But it explained a lot.

"The only clever ones come from the Jenny family, but we, heheh, took care of them long ago."

This was sounding worse and worse the longer I listened.

"So whaddaya say? Want to join?"

I pretended to mull it over. "What are the benefits?"

"What?"

"I mean, I get what _you_ guys get out of it. You get my mad skills and such, but I need to know what _I_ get here." Totally bluffing. Though I was curious what would've happened had Red not taken the automatic "but thou must" route with this guy.

"Well, um…" Had nobody asked this question, or were all the people here gullible fools?

"I mean, it's like a job. Gotta know the benefits. Do I get free lunches, breaks every weekend, vacation tickets? I bet your health insurance is pretty shoddy. That in itself is a deterrent. I gotta know what you offer to make up for it."

The boy rolled his eyes. "You're pretty greedy, don't you think? We already gave you a Nugget."

"No, that was a _prize_. There's a difference. Hmm, _potential employers are deceptive concerning amenities and bonuses._ That's two strikes against you."

"Oh for Moltres' sake!"

"Now don't go involving the legendaries here. I'm pretty sure they don't give a damn."

"Look, either youse accept the job or not, eh?"

"And I _already_ _told_ _you_ that I never get myself involved with shady dealings before knowing what's in it for me." Lies. I don't get involved with shady dealings _period_. Too easy to find yourself framed or worse.

"That's it! I've been patient, but you're really annoying!"

"So says the pushy headhunter," I grumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing, you weirdo head fetish man, you." By now I'd devolved into an obnoxious child.

"Oh, you are going _down_!"

I wondered how we hadn't attracted anyone with our argument, but we were in a pretty isolated area. Besides the beaten bridge trainers, there was no one else around.

The Team Rocket recruiter sent out an Ekans, and I sent out Colby.

Even if snakes eat rats, it does them no good if the rat can run circles around them.

And that's exactly what my Pokémon did.

"Plan CA, Colby," I ordered, and the rat obliged, smacking into the side of the snake before it could move away.

I'd brought up an idea before Red. To prevent the enemy from knowing what our moves were, I'd thought up some alternate ways to order my Pokémon around. He'd loved the idea (no surprise seeing as how his pre-planned strategies with his _own_ Pokémon were what inspired me). So Plan CA stood for "Choice Attack," which pretty much meant Colby would spam his strongest move, maybe using other moves if the situation called for it, but focusing on Quick Attack.

"Bite, Ekans!" the Rocket recruiter yelled. The snake lunged for my rat, but Colby was faster.

I watched, eyes focusing on the battle. Red's written advice flashed in my head. _Now, remember, Catch. Your Pokémon have weaknesses and the enemy will take advantage of that. It's your job to make up for any shortcomings. In Colby's case, he is fast, tricky, and has good senses. However, his eyes are set apart. He won't be able to see objects directly in front of him. Now, usually this won't be so bad, but the blind spot grows larger the closer the object is to the Pokémon. A smart opponent will try to turn the battle into a melee. In fact, I would say the worst matchup for Colby would be a powerful close-ranged fighter who matches him in cunning._

Ekans on average fought similarly to Rattata. Hit-and-run tactics. However, they interspersed this with long-range moves like Poison Sting or Acid and the occasional close-ranged Wrap. Rattata lacked these, but they made up for it with their speed: carrying them from one end of the battlefield to the other in the blink of an eye.

With my emphasis on evasion during our training session coupled with Colby's speed, dodging an Ekans' long-range moves was a piece of cake. Dodging an Ekans itself…

It was unfortunate, but Colby hadn't trained against anything remotely similar to an Ekans. Their elongated, flexible body was unique to snakes. It was like one long muscle.

"Colby!" I cried involuntarily. The purple rodent had gotten himself wrapped in the snake's clutches. My mind layered another image on top: one with a rock snake and blue turtle instead.

"No…"

I clutched my arms tightly, breath quickening in short gasps and trembling uncontrollably. My eyesight focused on the scene in front of me like I had horse blinds, and before I knew it I'd raised a foot in the first step of an all-out sprint for my Pokémon. I shook my head and set my foot down, eyes squinting closed and mind scrambling for an answer.

Hopefully the Ekans' strength gave out before Colby's lungs.

The Rattata looked terrified, his furry body crushed, fanged mouth open in a wail of pure, instinctual fear.

Wait a minute…

"Bite it!" I yelled desperately. "Bite the sucker!" I flailed my arms in the air, a chicken attempting to take off.

There is a reason Rattata do not learn Hyper Fang till a certain level. Their teeth are neither strong enough nor hard enough for such a move until they grow in strength. It just so happens that Colby, on the cusp of level thirteen, and in an emergency situation, managed to take the final step to that level and learned Hyper Fang along with it.

In that one instant, the tables turned.

Hyper Fang is _boss_. At least early on. Anybody who doesn't agree either hasn't used a Rattata-line Pokémon or hasn't battled one, which is…nobody. With that one move, Colby just earned himself a slot as one of my top Pokémon, my certified "sweeper" along with Granola.

And he proceeded to gnaw the heck out of that Ekans. And the Zubat that came after.

"Are you all right, Colby?" I asked when it was over. "I'm taking you back to the Center." I scooped him up in my arms.

"Arrgh! You are good!" came a grumble, and my head whipped around. I'd forgotten the Rocket was there. It'd been the snake, Colby, and me. A mistake _Red_ would never make. Nor would he have panicked while his Pokémon was in trouble. If I hadn't come up with that biting plan…

The Rocket glared at the ground. "With your ability, you'd become a top leader in Team Rocket."

I shook my head as I accepted his reward money. This kid was _weak_ compared to the executives. "A trainer's only as strong as their Pokémon. If not for my Pokémon, I wouldn't have beaten you." I turned away from him to walk back to the city.

It sounded trite, but it was true. I'd only learned tactics and strategy after Red had been so kind to teach me. Before that, I was _horrible_. Even now I still forgot a lot. Like how, after the heat of battle, I remembered that rats are genetically programmed to fear snakes. If it weren't for Colby's iron self-control, he could've panicked right in the middle of the battle like I had. But with his lone-wolf personality, he'd learned to deal with that on his own. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have survived.

The Pokémon I caught were all survivors (except Mock maybe). Their ability to overcome their instinctual fear and fight despite that were what made them so strong.

Compared to them, I was just a bumbling toddler hoping not to smack into too many walls. A child dabbling in the powers of creatures far stronger than she. A wet behind the ears teenager with the brass to call herself a trainer, a _leader_. Why was I not punished for my hubris?

Who was this fool to say I had _ability_?

I was a fake, a charlatan, borrowing the powers of others to make myself look strong. Red, my team, all of them.

A dwarf standing on the shoulders of giants.

But maybe, just maybe, I could become a force in my own right. Maybe…I could assist them in turn. I _had_ to, or I would never be able to live with myself.

_"Even a mouse can help a lion." I'll have to see if that's true._

* * *

**Thanks Lord Cow-Cow, kenegi, RandomCitizen, nostalgicCyanide, colbub, SmileRen, Pinkypink342, Searching for Enadi, Totodileawesomeness, Rainbow R, TammyHybrid21, obsessivesyndrome, TyphlosionExplosion, ZombieSlayers, Gembell, TheKawaiiStar21, EVOLustory, Xethrin, Konri Kari, Hero of the Hazard, brica, Lone Panda, ****shadowfan999, Jman12394, and bob the Guest for reviewing! :D**

I rewrote this chapter twice, which was kind of annoying, no lie. I'd taken a risk with that last line last chapter, because it meant that I would _have_ to go a specific way, and since I change my mind more times than "that one customer" in a sit-down restaurant, it wasn't the wisest decision I'd made. Still, at the time, I was pretty sure of where I wanted to take this story.

The problem was where _Catch_ wanted to take it.

I know it's supposed to be a sign of a good writer when your characters come to life, but for me it's just annoying. I'll give you a brief skit of what it was like.

Me: Plot says go this way, to the fires of Mount Doom. Go west, young man.

Catch: Okay, for one thing, Mount Doom is _east._ For another, to quote the awesome Sully: "Hell no!"

Me: That's too generic to be a quote...

Catch: Oh, shut up. I'm going north.

Me: Well, if you don't want to go east, then let's go south. I've already rewritten up the chapter—

Catch: Did you even hear what I said?

Me: But if you go south, you can take it easy. Safe...That's what I would do.

Catch: Well, I'm not you! I'm my own person now, and you have no control over me! *stomps off north*

Me: *sniff* B-but... *wails* She left mommy!

Catch *from the distance*: You're not my mother!


	23. Pokémaniacs and Turnabouts

Chapter 23: Pokémaniacs and Turnabouts

"Thank you for waiting. We've restored your Pokémon to full health."

"Thanks, Nurse," I replied. "I was worried…"

"Yes, I can see why," she clucked her tongue. "Pokémon battles can be so violent. You trainers should really be more careful."

I accepted the criticism stolidly and scooped up my Poké Balls, inserting them back into my bracelet. Nodding at the nurse, I climbed upstairs to the room I'd rented. I knew I'd have to stay overnight, though it was only late afternoon.

I was glad to sleep in these rooms. Obviously whatever form of government here- probably similar to if not exactly like the Pokémon Association in the manga- paid the Pokémon Centers very well. Last night I'd had to make do with bedrolls in Mt. Moon, and Red and I hadn't had any Repel to keep the wild Pokémon away. It'd been a hectic night.

It served to remind me just how isolated everything was around here. To get from Pewter to Cerulean, you had to walk through a cave that took you more than a day to get through (and I'd skipped quite a bit of the walking there when I scaled the walls). Vehicles, even off-roaders, weren't worth the money, and if you wanted to get anywhere quickly you either needed a bicycle or a bird Pokémon.

I sighed, flopping myself on the bed. I'd relax for a while here but then I would have to return to Route 24. As I lay there, I suddenly realized how stupid I'd been today.

First, running away from Red. I hadn't even talked to him, hadn't even paid him back yet. Sure, I would still have to go my own way if I wanted to do any growing: I knew that. But that didn't excuse not even _telling_ the boy that. Was I just too much of a coward?

I sighed and turned to the side, curling up slightly, and forcing myself to unwind. The sheets smelled like they'd just been washed, and felt cool and smooth against my hot forehead. I closed my eyes and breathed out, but my thoughts wouldn't leave me alone.

I had grown overconfident, and plunged headfirst into battle with the bridge kids, just to prove that I _could_ do things by myself. In that, I'd shown just how immature I really was.

And then _that_ fight. With the Rocket recruiter. I'd forgotten one essential fact about my opponent, a mistake Red would never make.

Team Rocket fought ruthlessly. And their Pokémon had probably been trained to fight like that too. That Ekans hadn't fought to injure, or make my Pokémon faint, but to kill. Every time my Rattata had evaded the snake, I should have been breathing a sigh of relief because one bite, _one_, and it could have been over.

_This isn't just a video game. My Pokémon can die here._

It was a sobering thought, and I resolved to be more careful. Even a regular trainer can accidentally kill a Pokémon. Buried feelings of disgust rose up, these new circumstances churning the dust that had let them rest. This world was so barbaric. Perhaps I was biased, but really? How could a sport that involved possible death be enjoyed?

_What about the sports back home?_ _Are they any less violent? What about the deaths or life-changing injuries you hear about that comes from them? What right do you have to judge _this_ world?_

I winced, shoulders drooping. I was such a fool. But at least back home I had the _option_ of choosing whether to play a sport or not. Here I didn't have that. And nor did the Pokémon that people captured here.

"I see why N was so against this," I said dully. "I wonder if he ever saw any of his Pokémon friends almost die too."

Shivering suddenly, I wrapped my arms around myself, ignoring the new wetness on my cheeks.

_He almost _died_! Died! And…it would've been my _fault_._

_ Do I have the strength to carry the lives of others on my shoulders?_

_ Do I have any choice?_

Shaking my head, I stood up, and slapped my face. I had known from the start that I would have to go through this. To get back home, I had to complete the Pokédex, which meant HMs, which meant Badges, which meant battling.

_I won't be entering the League though. That's just pointless._

I paced the room. From what I'd seen and heard so far, less than five percent of all trainers actually manage to get eight Badges. Actually, even getting _four_ is a feat. Gym Leaders are extremely powerful, and few trainers have both the _ambition_ and _strength_ to get through the League challenge. In fact, most trainers are casual: hobby trainers. It takes a special kind of person to be able to sweep through the Gyms and travel the world.

And I would have to be that kind of special. _Lovely_.

If this was something just anybody could do, then _everybody_ would be walking around with eight Badges. It wasn't as easy as sitting down and playing handhelds.

I opened the door.

It wouldn't be easy, but I had no choice.

When I entered Route 24, I caught an Abra I named Cereal and a Bellsprout I named Gourd. With all this practice, I was getting pretty good at this "capturing" thing.

Next I battled a camper named Shane who told me he'd hid because of the Rockets.

_So you didn't even try and get help when you saw me being harassed? Thanks a lot!_

When he released an Ekans, I set Puff loose on it. She could be kind of vicious when she wanted to be.

I went through Route 24 to Route 25, battling trainers along the way. I was careful, watching my Pokémon with hawk eyes and jotting mental notes in my head all the while. With each battle, I felt invisible fingers loosen their death grip around my heart. _I can do this. I just have to be careful._

One battle stood out above the others.

I had just finished fighting a youngster named Joey (who immediately made me think of Johto Joey- he even had a Rattata) when a hiker approached me.

"Not bad, though you're still a rookie, kid."

I nodded, "I know."

"You're going to see Bill, I take it?"

I nodded a second time. I wasn't in a talkative mood at the moment. Every battle that progressed made me realize something. This world wasn't as different as I thought. People were still the same; the main difference was just the presence of Pokémon and their national sport. But…

_Are they just fooling themselves? Don't they realize what they're doing? What if their Pokémon don't want to fight? What if they die anyway?_

Not that I had room to talk. But at least I gave my Pokémon a choice.

"Well, first, we battle! Onix, fight!" the words sank into my brain, and I blinked.

Like most of the other trainers I'd fought, he sent out his Pokémon first. I didn't mind being underestimated (not that I was really good anyway), since it helped me figure out what Pokémon to use.

"Mock, go!"

In a flash of white light, my Pokémon appeared.

"Mock, go for Plan CA!" just like with Colby, CA stood for "Choice Attack," which meant utilizing his strongest move, Water Gun. Instead of shouting out every move to use, I'd figured that it was better to plan out strategies ahead of time that showed my Pokémon the wisest moves to use in a situation. The only problem was the sheer number of different strategies out there.

Last night in Mt. Moon, unable to sleep from the wild Pokémon, Red and I had sat and discussed how a Pokémon's personality affected their battle strategy, how to compensate for it, and made negotiations with our Pokémon. The only troublesome ones were Mock, who hadn't liked Plan A (Attack), and Granola, who hadn't liked Plan D (Defense) or Plan S (Support). Fortunately, after a little persuasion, we'd managed to convince both of each plan's usefulness. It helped that most of Mock's moves were long-range (so he wouldn't be front and center), and we'd reassured Granola she wouldn't have to do Plan D or Plan S normally, being a sweeper.

And Mock was amazing. He disliked fighting, but he would go through with it anyway for me. It touched me more than anything. He hesitated at key moments sometimes, but when he went through with it his aim was spot-on.

The Onix roared, forcing my mind back in gear. And then I remembered. _Brock. Oh, shit._

"Mock, you don't have to fight this guy if you don't want to," I shouted. _A bit late now, isn't it?_

"Squirt!" he glanced back at me and I could read his eyes perfectly. They blazed with determination.

_Oh, Mock. You're so brave. _Before, he cringed and cowered from every battle, but now he stood strong, facing up to his fears despite shaking like a leaf.

Before I could think more on it, the battle had started.

The Onix dove for my Pokémon, but the turtle jumped high and sent a jet of high-pressured water right between his opponent's beady eyes.

It was a one-hit knockout. The combination of targeting a weak spot with type effectiveness was too much for the rock snake to handle, despite being a higher level.

"You're something else," the hiker grumbled good-naturedly, handing me some money. At that point, Mock started to glow.

Staring with wide eyes, I checked my Pokédex for confirmation. Yes, he was _evolving_.

Evolution is one of the most beautiful things to witness. There's just something so…_hopeful_ about it. It's like a sweet sixteen, a transition from one part of your life to the next, except more obvious. Because back home, people don't change shape when they grow up, whether it's physically or mentally.

When it finished, his eyes were sharper, his coloring darker, and he sported a pair of fluffy ears and a thick, luxurious-looking tail.

_Why do I think of those flying Koopas when I see him? And those ears…that tail…he's so _adorable_!_

With a squeal, I lunged for him and picked him up, hugging him to myself. _Oof, double the poundage there, Mock!_

Despite his heaviness, he was too cute _not_ to cuddle. All that fluff!

"Heheh, is this your first time seeing a Pokémon evolve?" the hiker asked.

I shook my head, "I've seen it a few times before, but I'm still not used to it."

His grin widened till it stretched from ear to ear, laugh lines crinkling the corners of dark, squinty eyes. "It's a small miracle, that's for sure. Not enough people pause and appreciate things like that, anymore."

I looked at Mock, and couldn't help agreeing. Despite my impulsive nature, there were times when I just relaxed and stopped to savor the little things in life. It did wonders for my stress.

_It's all worth it for times like this._

I didn't skip the rest of the way to Bill's house, but I had to admit my heart felt the lightest it had in a while.

Once I got there, though, my mood soured like ripening in reverse.

And can you blame me?

"Yo, brat," a boy greeted from in front of the house.

"_Green_," I ground out.

"There you go again. What, don't have enough room in that big head of yours to fit my name in?"

"What?" I asked, head tilting.

"It's _Blue_. Geez, get it right next time, Ketchup."

"My _name_ is Catch."

"Like I care. Hey, where's Ruby?"

"It's _Red_."

"Same thing. I can't believe you beat him here. Then again, he's a bit of a Slowpoke."

I groaned. Green was the same as always. Still sporting a ridiculously spiky shounen hairstyle, eyebrows cocked to maximum smarminess. This time he wore his outfit from the original games: a violet shirt and black pants.

"You look like a lion," I deadpanned. "A lion with bad fashion sense. Not that I really expected anything else from a boy."

"Being sexist, Catch?" his eyebrow rose even further. It was almost ridiculous. Scratch that, it _was_ ridiculous.

I turned away from him, "And I was having _such_ a good time, too. No colorful characters, literally and figuratively. Just me, myself, and I."

The boy rolled his eyes. "Well, sorry to barge into your solo party, _lamebrain_, but I asked you a question. Where's boy wonder?"

"Red?" I hedged, blanching. "He's…um…busy."

"With what?"

"Well…Ikindaditchedhim," I babbled out the last part, and squinted my eyes shut in shame, opening one warily to see Green doubled over in hysterics.

"You…_ditched_ him? Oh, gawd, that's hilarious."

"Yeah…what's so funny?"

The boy straightened up, grinning. It was…_weird_. He was so _expressive_, the perfect foil for Red.

"Pfft, you look just like Red when he's being confused and robotic," he chuckled, wiping his eyes. "It's a good thing you ditched him. We don't need two of him. Not that your personality's any better."

I puffed my cheeks. Despite my ambivalent feelings toward Red, he was still my friend, and _I'd_ been the one to ditch him, even though he'd stayed for me in Pewter. At that thought, feelings of guilt flooded me in a wave. I was such a hypocrite.

"Don't say that about him," I mumbled. "He didn't deserve that. I-I shouldn't have left him."

"Keh, don't feel bad. _Everybody_ does that," Green rolled his eyes again.

"What?"

"Leaves him," he leaned back against the cream-colored walls of the house. "He's always been a bit of an Oddish. Never fits in anywhere." The boy scoffed, "He always thought he was too good for us. Can't blame the Viridian kids for leaving him alone."

I stared at Green. There was something about his actions, something _off_. "Do you mean that?"

"Huh?"

I backtracked when the prickles speared up, "Nothing. Just can't imagine you knowing what an Oddish is," it was an obvious diversion tactic, and Green knew it, but he said nothing.

So Red was alone all his life. That explained his awkward social skills and his obsession with Pokémon. Being mute probably hadn't helped either. The guilt doubled.

When I was younger I'd been ostracized myself for things I'd had no control over. Mostly over my looks, but a lot of it for my personality. I'd been fed bedtime stories of heroes, justice, and white knights. The other girls had grown tired of my blunt, straightforward ways and my tendency to lapse into fairytale dreams. Before I knew it the only friends I had were guys who were just as socially clumsy as I was, and sought solace in animals and books. Just like Red had probably sought it in Pokémon and battling.

_Red. Really, why do you want to become the League Champion? Is it for the feeling of finally being acknowledged, or is it for the journey of traveling with friends, even if they're all Pokémon? Friends who stick with you through thick and thin, who…don't leave you. Is it both?_

This was terrible. But I still had to go. Janice was right. But…I couldn't just _leave_ him. He was…my friend? Did I even have the right to call him that anymore?

"Hey, what are you looking so down about, shrimp? Decided you needed your babysitter after all?"

I glared up at him, "I'm not a shrimp nor a baby! And I'm just guilty." My eyes watered, and I gazed down dully. "I'm not a good friend…"

"Meh, crybaby. You're so lame."

I sniffed, wiping my eyes. "I can't help it. I'm emotional, all right?"

He snorted, "Aren't you too young to be PMS-ing?"

I paused, flames of anger stoked. "_What_?"

Sensing danger, Green held up his hands, "Whoa, don't kill me, shrimp. You're light years too early to be challenging me."

At that familiar phrase, my mood lifted slightly. "Heh, light years measures distance, lame-o."

"That right?" he scoffed, but I glared at him suspiciously. He was far too smart to make a mistake like that.

"Well," he continued, "I don't know what you're angsting about, Ketchup. All you have to do is apologize to the lamebrain, and that's that."

I froze, ignoring the misuse of my name. "Is it…really that easy?"

The boy smacked his face. "Um…yeah. _Girls_, they have to make everything so complicated."

Ignoring his jibes again, I focused on the key words. All I had to do was…apologize. But what about the fact I'd be leaving him again?

"But…I'm planning on leaving him later on."

"Huh? What for?"

"Well…I have to grow stronger," why was I telling him this? "And I can't…around Red."

Green scoffed. "_That_ weakling? Then again, you're even weaker. Would've thought a couple of weaklings would try and stick together."

I sighed. Did he _have_ to slip in insults every other sentence?

"Well, then, just tell him the truth."

I scratched my head, "But…"

"Gawd, you're a loser," Green interrupted. "I don't know what's getting your pantaloons in a twist, but just _tell_ Red what's going on. He'll understand. He's always been lame like that. Sides, aren't you guys _friends_?" the words came out mocking.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, yeah, we are. Or at least…I hope so."

The boy scoffed. "I should _think_ so. You've been fretting over it for the past ten minutes with me, and probably longer by yourself. You're such a worrywart."

I glared at him halfheartedly.

The boy scoffed, and strolled away. "A piece of advice: relax. You're eleven years old. Stop acting like a melodramatic teenager." He stopped, and took something from his pockets. "Oh, yeah. Here, _catch_," he smirked at the joke and somehow _threw_ a flimsy piece of paper at me. Shouldn't it have fluttered in the wind, or did Green have magic throwing powers?

"I had an extra ticket to S.S. Anne on me. You should try and enjoy yourself. Hanging out with Red has wound you up tighter than a screw," he chuckled. "Funny, cause I thought for sure you had a few loose."

I stared at him, openmouthed, before my mind caught up. "Thanks! Though at least I have a brain to be screwed in!" I couldn't resist the parting jab.

He sent me the loser sign and disappeared through the maze of bushes, the picture of casual grace.

After he left, I gazed at the ticket in my hand without really seeing it. He was right. I _had_ been acting angsty and overdramatic lately.

I was eleven years old, and I was in a video game. Granted, a video game where you pit creatures against each other with a possibility of death, but it was a _sport_. There were accidents in every sport.

I may not be entirely comfortable with it, but I couldn't let that color my mood the whole time I was here.

I should…enjoy myself. I could still be careful, but I didn't have to get depressed. After all, the situation I was in was a lot better than if I had been transported to the world of Naruto or Katekyo Hitman Reborn! There…death didn't come by accident.

No, I was in the world of Pokémon. It's not like there was a violent, evil organization threatening the peace out there, right?

Okay, sarcasm aside, Green's advice was totally spot-on.

Wait…_Green_ was giving me advice? And it was actually _useful_? Where are the flying pigs? The frozen craters of Hell?

Actually, what I should be even more worried about was the fact that he attempted to _comfort_ me. And that the attempt _worked_.

_My gawd, the Apocalypse is coming._

I shook my head, smiling. _He didn't do it for me, though._

He did it for Red.

_Thanks anyway, Green. You're not too bad yourself…but you're still annoying._

I entered Bill's house, mood lighter than ever. I had a plan. Apologize to Red, and tell him the truth as his friend.

Why couldn't I have come up with that by myself?

_Oh, well_.

"Hiya there!" a cheerful, country-accented voice greeted me. "Call me Bill! I'm a true-blue Pokémaniac!" The owner of the voice was a person in his twenties with frumpy chestnut hair and matching eyes. He wore a periwinkle polo over khakis, and radiated nerdiness.

"Hey, Bill," I smiled. "My name's Catch. Catch M. Hall."

"Really? What a name! Bet yer folks were just raving about Pokémon, right? Can't blame them!" he chattered on, completely running over anything I was about to say (like how he was the first person to get the joke). I watched him with a little amusement, and distracted myself with inspecting his house.

It was rather messy. Blueprints, books, and boxes, the three Bs, lay scattered over the wood-tiled floor amid machinery and potted plants. A lone desk took center stage, supporting a computer that was undoubtedly modern for this day and age, but would be called a dinosaur in my old world of laptops and notebooks. A pizza box containing a half-eaten pizza lay open beside a bottle of yellow soda. The air buzzed and beeped at intervals, and in the back, two terrifying-looking machines that would belong in a science fiction movie hummed ominously. But what was most noticeable…

"Where do you sleep? Or go to the bathroom?" I interrupted Bill in the middle of a monologue over Eevee. Somehow he'd led me to the computer and had been busy showing me his personal collection of Eevee evolutions before I'd interjected.

"Well, the machine back there functions as a teleporter to my other rooms, but I'm also using it for an experiment," he expanded on the subject, explaining the different processes and theories behind his experiment. "All I need is a Pokémon with unique DNA like Clefairy. Say, you don't happen to have a Clefairy on you?"

"Nah," I answered, not wanting to involve myself in any weird experiments like body switching.

"Aww shucks! Guess I'll just have to use my PC! I'm sure one of them trainers wouldn't mind me 'borrowing' one of their Pokémon for a sec."

_What_?

"Hee," he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly at my reaction. "Don't worry, it won't hurt anybody. And as one of the inventors for the Pokémon Storage System, I know what I'm talking about!"

I kept staring, and then shook my head, sighing. Hopefully he didn't use _my_ Clefairy. I wasn't sure what the side effects would be from switching minds with a human. She was already bad enough as a fiendish moon fairy.

I left Bill's house twice as exhausted from when I entered. Somehow we'd developed into random conversations about anything and everything involving Pokémon. I'd learned a few things though, for sure. I'd also somehow gotten his email.

_Geez, that guy's so energetic when it comes to Pokémon…_ I sighed, but smiled. _It's kind of adorable, in a nerdy way._

I leaned on the edge of the white-picket fence, gazing out at the ocean view. The darkening sky was edged with violet now, and off to my right, to the west, the sun steadily fell from its peak. Black-troughed waves crashed against the cape in a soothing rhythm interspersed with the evening calls of bird Pokémon. I sniffed. The wind that brushed against my face in gentle eddies carried the tang of salt mixed with pine and flowers.

Bill sure had a prime spot here. It was a perfect place to live, aside from all the trainers walking around. _Then again, Bill doesn't seem to mind. For a nerd, he sure does love to socialize, at least when it comes to his favorite topic._

Leaving the cape, I arrived at the city to heal my Pokémon. _All that's left is exploring the city for what's left of the day and challenging Misty in the morning._

As I wandered, the realization that this was my first time exploring without Red cut through my tranquility, but I ignored the guilt when I remembered my plan. There would be no more drama or misunderstandings between us from now on.

There really wasn't much to explore. I picked up a Rare Candy and received a Powder Jar, but that was about it. In the end, I returned to the Pokémon Center. Without any expectations, I checked my email. It'd only been a couple days since I first messaged Professor Oak.

_Sure enough, no alerts. I've never wanted to receive an email this badly, _I thought. _Not that there's anything I can do myself. Fortunately the ripples haven't appeared since that time Red collapsed, and I hope I've seen the last of them._

I went to bed, my Pokémon rearranging themselves around me. Mock still slept in the bathtub, Colby in a corner, and Granola on a chair. What was new was that Pepper decided to sleep next to Colby (who looked decidedly uncomfortable), and that Cream Puff kept trying to kick Olive out of the bed.

_So noisy, _I thought, grumpy with fatigue. "If you cannot settle down, the two of you are sleeping on the floor," I warned, and turned over to get some rest.

I wasn't yet fully used to rooming with Pokémon, but for the first time, I didn't mind the thought that I'd have to.

o3o3

Omake 3: Unaware

Pepper had always been made fun of for being a runt. Her whole life, her smaller-than-average size had caused her to be the butt of many a joke. One day, when she'd had enough, she ran away from her family, secretly hoping they'd chase after and apologize. Once they were bowing at her feet, she might _deign_ to forgive them.

She never expected to get captured.

Her friend, another nameless like her (only the important, _experienced_ Nidoran got names), had gotten captured as well. But while her captor was a brunette wearing a funny white hat, her friend was caught by a stoic-looking boy with a red cap.

But life with them wasn't as bad as she'd thought. She got to walk outside, and nobody looked at her with _those_ eyes. The eyes that said [what a pity, it's too bad she's so small and useless.] No, they looked at her with respect and care. It was what she always wanted.

So despite her initial disobedience, she really didn't act as _naughty_ as her nature suggested. Still, she was one of the youngest in the group. Mock and Cream Puff were around her age, but Olive was an adolescent, Granola a young adult, and Colby already a full-fledged adult.

She sighed dreamily. _Colby_. Such handsome fur, thick, gleaming, and healthy, a sign of strength. In fact, his coloring reminded her of a Nidoran male.

But he was far stronger than any Nidoran male _she'd_ known. And far cooler.

He wasn't annoyingly chatty like Mock, but a _real_ male. The way his eyes drifted off into the distance, his deep, lustrous voice, and how when he spoke, the others _listened_. Mock may be the leader of the group for his charisma, but when it came to battling, nobody beat Colby. Sure, Granola was aggressive and violent, but she lacked the cool head for tactics that Colby possessed. He was the smartest of them all, predicting their opponents' moves with eerie accuracy and striking to win.

Why didn't the others see his good points? There were three other females in the group. Surely they'd noticed him, right? Well, Granola was obsessed with fighting, and Cream Puff was far too immature to think on such grown-up matters, but what about Olive?

She'd seen the two of them. Olive was the only member of their team that even _approached_ the rat. She'd watched them (it wasn't stalking if she was only monitoring them), wondered what they talked about, and sighed. Unlike her, Olive was more mature, a better fighter. She was the only one that could actually beat Colby in hand-to-hand combat and match his speed. Compared to Olive, Pepper was just a weak, runty kid.

_But I won't give up_, she thought, shaking her head determinedly. _I'll show him just what a beautiful girl I am. He won't _help_ but fall for me when I'm through. Just watch!_

Now how to get his attention…

* * *

Here we have it! The major turnabout! Finally!

And, do I spy a possible love triangle in the team? Oh noes! XD

**Thank you very much to SmileRen, DaLintyMan, nostalgicCyanide, awesomeness127, Frozen-Night-Mist, kenegi, FluffyDragonsLiveInMyHouse, Searching for Enadi, Lord Cow-Cow, colbub, TammyHybrid21, and Lone Panda for reviewing! :D**

This chapter is dedicated to Lord Cow-Cow for being the 200th reviewer! :D


	24. Confrontations and Confessions

Chapter 24: Confrontations and Confessions

Every morning when I rose for the day, I indulged the same pattern as back home. First, I took a shower, then I brushed my hair and teeth, and lastly, I threw on whichever outfit I felt like. Additionally, I washed my dirty clothes in the Laundromat- specifically designed for traveling trainers and operated via a trainer's license. I was _very_ thankful that the professor had had a card made for me. Still, I wondered how much trouble it was to have one made, seeing as they were used almost _everywhere_.

It was something to chew on when I had more free time, because my to-do list was getting longer and longer. One: learn sign language. Two: finish reading those two guidebooks I bought in Viridian, one on Pokémon care and training, and the other on the various locales of Kanto. Three: look through Professor Oak's research notes that he'd been so kind to copy to my Pokédex. Four: find out exactly what was causing those ripples and see if they have anything to do with me (I was almost certain they did). Five: confront Red.

_Wow, I really should read up on those books—no! Be brave. Don't procrastinate. I'll have to see him sooner or later. I'm surprised I didn't see him last night._

A wave of dread swept over me. Maybe…he was trapped in Mt. Moon. Those Rockets could have ganged up on him and captu—

_Before you start to hyperventilate, remember whom it is you speak of._

Yeah. Of course. _Red_. Boy wonder.

_Also, don't fall into the trap of overestimating him. He's not a god, but a _boy_. An eleven-year-old at that._

Terrifying images of battling him at Mt. Silver flashed before me, and I shuddered. _Not a _normal_ one._

_ True, but he's still _human_. Fallible._

I remembered Red at various moments over the short time I'd known him. We'd bonded quickly, perhaps because I didn't care about him being mute, and he didn't care that I had all the native cultural knowledge of a caveman.

In the end, he hadn't confronted me about my weird references or my mental breakdowns during the whole "ripple" business. He was a better friend than I could've hoped for in this world, a bit like my friends back home. Though many might be rough around the edges (and really, weren't all of us like that?) all of them possessed hearts of solid gold.

I was honored to know each and every one of them, and the same went for Red.

I hadn't planned on being his friend. At first, I saw him as just a strange, silent traveling companion. A boy I was forced to travel with who also happened to be a video game character. Odd, I know.

_But I think I can call him a friend now. _Flashes of his rare smiles, his pure and genuine love of Pokémon, and his patient explanations of this world danced in my head. _I want to get to know him better, learn sign language, and discover more things about him._

I felt the same toward my Pokémon. I cherished each and every one of them, and strove to understand them, but it was difficult to bypass the cultural barrier between us, especially when I had to simultaneously establish myself as the _leader_, the trainer. It was hard to balance approachability and respect, and I'd frequently leaned toward the former in past leadership positions, too afraid to step on any toes and truly be _assertive_.

But despite my wishy-washiness, I still learned a few things about my team.

Mock the Squirtle turned Wartortle I knew the most about. My first and best friend in this world, gentle-natured and the group peacekeeper. He got along well with the other Pokémon, especially Olive. He was also sheltered and distrusted other humans aside from me and Red (and possibly the professor as well).

Colby was a Rattata. As our resident lone wolf, he initially disturbed the group dynamic, but had since gained the team's respect with his cunning and cool head. Despite the warmth on their part, he still disliked social situations, and preferred to sit alone. I'd seen him occasionally chatting with Olive during the team training sessions, however.

Granola the Pidgey had been one of the most troublesome from the start, but ended up being worth her weight in gold. Her sassy nature had ostracized her a bit from the team, and after I deposited her best friend Butter, she hadn't seemed inclined to deepen her relationships with others. Rather, she focused all her efforts on her fighting skills. It seemed that she'd already realized that team slots were temporary here, sad as it was.

Olive was a bit of an oddball, being a Mankey yet possessing no temper to speak of so far. She, along with Mock, seemed to be the most popular Pokémon for her mild personality and powerful fighting ability. Unlike Mock, however, she enjoyed battling and seemed to view it as a sport. Her best friend appeared to be the Wartortle, though she also enjoyed talking with Colby.

Butter the Butterfree had left, but her brave nature and natural scrappiness had endeared the bug to all who'd known her. I hoped she was doing well in the PC, and didn't feel like I'd abandoned her. It was hard to convey to a Pokémon specific reasons like the one I had behind her storage, but I hoped my thoughts had reached her.

Cream Puff the Jigglypuff, nicknamed Puff, despite her initially clingy attitude, was now spending more and more time away from me to socialize with the other Pokémon. I figured the cause of her refusal to go into the PC was because of her young age. I hoped that soon enough, I'd be able to deposit her, since she didn't require experience to evolve, but she had definitely earned a place in my heart, even with her impish disposition.

Pepper the Nidoran female, despite her naughty nature, hadn't pulled as many pranks as I'd thought. Rather, she behaved like an angel, most likely afraid of being kicked off the team. She'd loosen up soon enough. Another point of interest was her fixation with Colby. She seemed to hero-worship him, rather like a lot of young girls who wrapped themselves up in fantasies about mature older men. It was very likely that this was just a crush, but if it wasn't, I had no idea what would come of it.

All of my Pokémon were valued members of my team. The only problem was that almost none of them had any moves that could deal with Misty.

Brock had been hard enough with a _type-advantage_. I couldn't imagine Misty, who possessed the infamous Starmie, would be any easier.

In fact, I was _very_ worried about the upcoming battle.

But I worried more about the upcoming confrontation with Red.

I left my room with these thoughts, going downstairs to eat breakfast, and froze on the escalators when I saw who was in the lobby.

_ Uh…I think I left my bag upstairs. I better go get it._

But it was too late. And freezing on escalators, as opposed to stairs, has one problem. You keep moving.

The person with the award for "least desiring to see right now" looked up, and his eyes, rather than accusing, appeared faintly mystified.

I swallowed, waving awkwardly, and walked over to the kiosk, stiffly pushed the button for my breakfast order (toast and jam with orange juice), and then marched over to where the brunette lounged casually at the glass-topped table.

Despite his apparent ease, his shoulders stood a bit straighter than normal, and his eyes, when they met mine, were guarded.

"H-h-hello Red," I squawked, and cleared my throat. I was _not_ a boy in the midst of puberty, so why was my voice breaking now?

The boy raised a brow (dang it Red, don't copy me), and I read the action perfectly. _Where were you?_

"Um…" I hedged, "Well, you see Red...I was busy chasing after that Clefairy we saw…" I described the mad scramble up the walls, the frantic pursuit, and the hordes of Rocket Grunts trailing me. "Oh yeah, and I picked up a couple fossils too, want one?" by now I'd lost my nervousness and was gesticulating wild accompaniment. I'd also gained a few additional audience members, from the nurse to the nearby trainers.

_Maybe I should lower my voice…_

Red sighed, a "why does Catch always have to be so difficult?" kind of sigh, and shook his head. _No, you can have them._

I sighed as well. Well, looks like I had _both_ fossils now. "Anyway, I managed to capture the Clefairy- and named her Sugar- but by then I'd left the mountain, and didn't fancy going back in, since I'd be facing a whole crowd of Rockets, and I know I'm good, but I'm not _that_ good," I grinned at the boy, eyes alert for a reaction. "And then…well, I wandered Route 4 for a while but then decided to hit Route 24- the one past the bridge- and meet Bill while I was waiting for you," I didn't mention the fact I'd considered the separation to be semi-permanent. "And then time kind of ran away from me…"

Red face-palmed and sighed, shaking his head. Wow. All three "why does Catch always have to be so difficult?" reactions. Go me.

_I'm lucky I could think up an excuse, but…_

"Oh, also. Here," I thrust forward exactly one thousand, five hundred Pokémon Dollars and laid it on the table in a small pile. "This is the money I owe you," I lowered my voice.

Red's eyes widened, a blank look stealing across his face before realization hit.

I chuckled slightly, a tad embarrassed. "With this, we're even. I also added a bit of interest since it took so long."

Red shook his head and started to push the money back, but I stayed his hand. "No. This is one thing I won't compromise on. If I don't pay you back this way, I'd have to find another way, and I'm still in your debt anyway after you helped me with Brock."

The boy gazed at me, eyebrows furrowed, and then nodded stiffly.

"I know you didn't have debts in mind when you did that," I explained, guessing the reason behind his actions, "But you don't seem to realize just how much you've helped me. As your friend, at least let me do _this_ much."

Those had been risky words to say. On the one hand, I wasn't sure if he saw me as a friend. On the other, the phrase would help ground the reason for my repayment in terms Red could accept.

Despite him not knowing much about human interaction, his innate nature was so kind that he seemed to intuitively understand the basic fundamentals of friendship: friends helped each other out. His relationship with his Pokémon was probably the reason why.

I was shocked from my thoughts when the boy nodded, brown eyes the widest I'd seen them, with a small smile stretching across his face.

_ Oh, gawd, he looks so fricking adorable right now…and now I feel like a craptoad. Thanks, Red. You're making this _so_ much harder to say._

"And now that we're even…" I winced. Not a good transition. "Red, I think that…after this city…we should part ways."

His brow furrowed, and I spoke before he could jump to conclusions. "It's not that I don't like traveling with you. I do. It's just…" I scrambled for ways to put this gently. Part of me was tempted to bring up what Janice had said to back myself up, but my conscience told me that blaming it on others (even indirectly) and also bringing up the fact that people in general didn't want to be around him was plain crummy.

"I just think that it's best for the both of us…" okay, mainly for me, but this was more diplomatic to say, "…to grow separately as trainers. I guess there's a reason trainers travel alone, so yeah…" I trailed off before my mouth could run away from me.

Red froze, eyes now as round as discs, before staring down at his food.

"Red?" I asked. "Is that okay?"

He nodded stiffly, but his next actions surprised me.

The boy picked up his plate; rising and pushing the chair back with a screech, and fluidly stepped around it, pushing it back in at the same time. He tramped to the back where the counter to return the plates was, and set his half-finished dish on it with a soft clatter. Then he turned around and left the Center.

The whole while he wore nothing but a blank expression.

_ Oh. Shit._

"Great job there, Catch. Way to go. Yeah, Red might act like a robot sometimes, but that doesn't mean he _is_ one. Of course he'd be hurt. Anybody would be if a so-called friend decided to suddenly ditch him or her," I grumbled to myself, shrinking back against the looks various people in the Pokémon Center shot me.

_Thanks, Green. Your advice was spot-on._

Feeling miserable and _definitely_ not up to tackling the Gym, I picked at my food before returning my plate as well, appetite gone.

What to do now?

ooo

"Bell!" cried the sprout as it toppled over, and I nodded. "Okay, then. I think we did good today, guys."

My team nodded in unison and passed out on the ground, out of breath.

I smiled, and leaned against a tree. Granola and Pepper had both evolved (meaning I'd be boxing the Nidorina soon since she no longer needed to be leveled up), Mock had replaced Tackle with Bite, Granola had replaced Sand-Attack with Whirlwind, Cream Puff had learned Disable, and Pepper had replaced Growl with Poison Sting. The whole "four moves" thing had been slightly confusing to me. Unlike in the games, Pokémon didn't automatically forget moves; they just prioritized them. Therefore, Mock could still use Tackle, but we'd purposely chosen to replace it with Bite, meaning it wouldn't be wise to use Tackle anymore, but instead concentrate on our new move.

I hadn't been slacking during all of this. I missed having Red to bounce ideas off of and go to for advice, but I'd persuaded myself it was all for the best. Lying in the shade (it was hot out), I had let my Pokémon battle without my guidance; taking breaks every so often, and brought the team to the Center when anyone got poisoned.

During that time, I'd also bought a notebook and a few pens from the Mart. I'd written down some notes (much easier than forming mental ones) and eventually chose to use Mock against Misty's Starmie with his Bite attack.

I'd thought it over, and realized that the water was a big advantage for the Gym Leader's Pokémon. With Mock, that advantage would be gone, and he would probably be a lot faster in the water than on land. I hadn't gotten to test this out, however. In that, I'd be taking a risk, since I didn't even know how well the turtle fought in the water, but that was why I had backup.

Granola's Whirlwind and Gust moves could be useful, plus her ability to fly. Plus she was my most reliable brawler. Colby wouldn't be that helpful unless he could get up close, which was unlikely. Same with Olive, though Cream Puff and Pepper could both be useful, but for different reasons. Sound traveled faster in water, and a well-placed Sing could very well turn the battle in our favor. With the addition of Poison Sting, Pepper could _pepper_ her opponents with status ailments. It wouldn't be that helpful against Misty's Staryu and Starmie, but against the other Gym trainers, it could be.

We'd been training since nine o'clock today in Route 24, and although we'd had a lunch break and various other small ones, they'd only extended our time by an hour, and it was now four in the afternoon.

"We'll have a short break- probably an hour, and then we'll go tackle the Gym. Hopefully we'll beat it, otherwise we'll try again tomorrow."

I smiled at their happy-looking faces, and then nodded confidently, "Let's go back to the Pokémon Center."

As I walked through the calm blue city, I halted at the sight of a red-capped boy trudging back from the right, from Route 4, obviously coming from training himself.

But when we approached, he nodded at me, and somehow, everything was all right again.

We both ate an early dinner (_together_, to my surprise). I fidgeted at first, and then resolved myself to relax, asking Red how his training went. The conversation flowed from there to Misty. I shared my knowledge of Staryu and Starmie and discussed various techniques with the boy. He made a few adjustments on details I'd missed, some of them being pretty important (like Mock's aversion to melee attacks or Pepper's lack of practice with Poison Sting). At the end of it, we were back to chatting like before.

Eventually, however, I decided to bring up the "forbidden" topic.

"I'm sorry," I bit my lip, glancing down, "You're a good friend. I…wish it didn't have to happen." Red deserved a much better friend than me.

He nodded. _Don't worry, I understand._

Did he really? Or was he just saying that? I couldn't tell.

"It's just, I _need_ to get stronger, to complete the Pokédex." My eyes watered, feeling the necessity to back up my claims with proof. About my situation, about _everything_.

Red stayed silent, the brim of his cap shading his face to make his expression unreadable.

I sighed. Even now, he wouldn't pry into my affairs. And with everything that had happened since I met him, I owed him an explanation.

"Red, I need to confess something," I let out a breath. "Can we talk up in my room?"

He nodded, eyes guarded, and we approached the escalators. The ride up and the trek to the room felt stifling with the silence. When we entered, I glanced around the place almost self-consciously.

The rooms were simple, and complete carbon copies of the ones in Viridian and Pewter. The white-themed bathroom, in addition to a plugged-in washlet toilet (and _boy_, had that been confusing for me) and sink had a Japanese-style tub and a sheer shower curtain. The shower itself was pretty high-pressured, which I was thankful for, but Mock would certainly have to find a new place to sleep when he evolved again.

The main room was sparsely decorated aside from the bed (cream-colored with a red-and-white Poké Ball design on the covers). There was a small nook with a pole stapled across and a couple hangers looped over. A plain wooden desk with a clock (no religious books, though whether the cause was cultural or from their beliefs I wasn't sure. Then again, this wasn't _really_ a hotel or motel) and an equally Spartan-styled chair rested on beige carpet. The wallpaper was the same design as in the main rooms- banana yellow with scarlet stripes and half Poké Ball shapes. The ceiling however, was a plain white that made the room look bigger than it was.

I sat down on my bed, relishing the plush comforters, while Red rotated the wooden desk chair to face me before seating himself.

Getting right down to business, I coughed and started speaking. "Um…you may find this hard to believe. _I_ find it hard to believe. Sometimes I wake up…and think I'm still dreaming…" I gazed at a spot right above Red's head. I hated sharing personal information like this. "…But I'm not. I've come to terms with this." I nodded sharply and took a deep breath. "Red, I was born in a different country…on planet Earth. There are no Pokémon there, only animals."

And then I expounded. I proceeded to describe the various technological advances, the state of the world, and my miniscule position within it. The whole while, I felt tiny pinpricks of pain, remembering the life I'd left behind.

This was all to relate to Red that I was actually _serious_; I wasn't making _anything_ up.

Afterward I covered my unknown transportation, how Professor Oak had explained things to me, and the various ripples that had occurred soon after.

I liked to observe people's reactions to my words when I spoke, especially for important topics. So I watched Red like a hawk during my monologue. He stayed silent the whole time, though at the last two topics he twitched and glanced up at me in fear and disbelief before quickly looking down again, his cap shadowing his face again. He remained like that for the rest of the oration.

At the end, I hesitated, but could read nothing from his expression. "Do you…believe me?"

A pause, and then a nod. Amazing. If the roles had been reversed, I'd have written him off as a madman.

I shook my head. _Just thank your lucky stars he hasn't called the nurse on you. _"That's why…I have to complete the Pokédex. I need it finished to go home." I didn't mention how there were two other regions whose Pokémon I required. I didn't mention Red's involvement in this: how he needed to become the Champion and visit the Sevii Islands. I didn't mention Red's future at all. And he never asked.

The boy rose, approached the bed, and patted me awkwardly on the back. Then he retreated, and fiddled with his notebook, eventually writing: _I will give you all the Pokémon I don't need._

_No questions? Nothing? _"Oh, no need to do that Red! We can just trade. And who knows? Maybe we can share Pokédex data as well. I'm not sure why the professor gave us all separate Pokédexes when he could have easily set up some motherboard Pokédex and give out peripherals of it to each of us."

At his blank look I scratched my head. "Ah, never mind. Anyway, we should be able to just trade. I don't want you to go without any backup Pokémon."

Red's face said it all. _I don't need backup Pokémon. _

I rolled my eyes, "You never know, Red, you never know. Ah well, I'm not sure we're even _able_ to just give out Pokémon anyway. We could test it with my link cable, because I don't know if Professor Oak gave you one. As of now, though, I have _plenty_ of Pokémon. Why don't we just do a big trade at the end of our journey? Or whenever we meet?"

Red stared at the space above my head before he nodded, eyes distant.

"Then it's a deal," I chirped in a tone that belied my darker mood. We'd have to separate soon. And there really was no way we could keep in touch aside from the unreliable method of running into each other. Maybe I could use Green as a go-between.

_ Nah. Knowing him, he'd tell Red a bunch of lies, saying things like "Catch said to tell you your hat's too small for your _Lapras_-sized head."_

No. Just no. He'd be the worst messenger _ever_.

Still, I felt freer than ever. As if a great and heavy weight had been lifted from my shoulders (sort of how I felt like after a haircut). Sharing secrets with others really _did_ make you feel better. And Red was one of the best people to confess to as well. He didn't ask any uncomfortable questions, and accepted things as they were.

He really was such a good friend.

And I was a terrible one. But I also had to remember my priorities.

_What's most important isn't making friends with people, or being _nice_. It's about finding a way back home. If completing the Pokédex is the answer to that, then so be it. But if there's another way…_

Another way.

Had I even considered that option? Another way…without all of this hassle, all of this _work_. A way home. It almost sounded too good to be true. But if there _was_ a way.

Then I'd be a fool not to take it.

_ For now, though, concentrate on Misty._

After the "talk," Red and I had sat in the room for a while, each of us involved in our own thoughts. The atmosphere had relaxed quite a bit though, and it was a _comfortable_ silence. There were no more secrets between us. At least secrets that were suitable to share.

"Why aren't you asking about the future? _Your_ future in specific?" I had questioned him.

_Why ask? _He replied. _Do I truly need to know? Will it help me? In the end, it's better to leave things as they are._

And wasn't _that_ one of the wisest utterances I'd ever heard? I'd met _adults_ with less sense than _this_ boy. After that show-stopping slinger, there was nothing more to say. After a certain amount of time had passed, we left the room to face Misty.

Gyms, unlike in the games, had actual closing times here, since people weren't alien robots like console Red that could go without sleeping and eating. For this Gym, the closing time was eight o'clock in the evening, though the place stopped taking challengers at seven-thirty. As it was around half past five, we had plenty of time to kick butt.

Right after entering the Gym, the stench of chlorine hit my nose hard enough to make my eyes water. Large beige pillars supported the four corners of this rectangular building, and the silver-tiled flooring and yellow-striped, porthole-dotted walls gave it a nautical feeling, a common theme in swimming pools. The pool itself was a giant rectangle except for a small bump that protruded from behind the Gym Leader. Sturdy metal ladders stood at each corner, and a cream-colored walkway supported by metal columns extended from the entrance all the way to Misty herself.

The Gym guide at the entrance, as snappily dressed as the one at Pewter in an identical blue suit and red tie, gave us some quick advice on dealing with water Pokémon. This only served to remind me further how little of an advantage I truly had.

There were also two trainers here besides the Gym Leader. A swimmer in the water, and a picnicker on land. By tacit agreement Red handled the swimmer while I took the picnicker.

When she sent out a Goldeen, I ended up using Mock to give him some practice in water battles. He ended up doing very well, and by the end of the fight I'd gotten a feel for his speed. I healed him with a Potion that Red handed me before I could even open my mouth to excuse myself for the Pokémon Center.

And then we were up against Misty.

The girl stood on top of a blue podium for first-place, and was dressed in a stretchy, undecorated indigo swimsuit that fit her slim figure perfectly. She looked around our age, if not a few years older. It was hard to tell, because she had what one would call a "baby face."

I stared. She looked…quite similar to Misty from the anime, if just a tad more mature, though her hair wasn't the brilliant carrot-red I'd been so envious of, but instead a dull, unassuming Venetian blond that made her energetic sea green eyes stand out more. And the way she stood- her confident, bowlegged stance- told me she was a tomboy.

She was very pretty, and I was instantly jealous. Ugh. Strawberry blond was my favorite hair color. If I wouldn't look absolutely _terrible_ in it (plus the fact I'd have to use bleach) I would dye my hair that hue.

"Oh, two trainers to challenge me?" she greeted, voice chirpy. "You're a couple of new faces! Only those trainers who have a policy about Pokémon can turn pro," she winked at Red flirtatiously, and when I glanced sideways, his face showed polite confusion (snicker). "What is your approach when you catch and train Pokémon? My policy…" she grinned, and I shuddered at her sudden resemblance to a shark, "My policy is an all-out offensive with water-type Pokémon!"

Red stepped forward, confident as usual, while I stepped back. This was his fight. She addressed _him_. After all, he was the _star_ of this show.

I stood back at the entrance with the trainers and the Gym guide when the battle started. Misty first sent out her Staryu, and then Red sent out his Pikachu (as per the rules of battling etiquette). But things changed when Pikachu didn't move, and then raced across to where she was.

"Aww, your Pikachu's so adorable!" Misty squealed, cuddling the little rat in her arms. "I don't want to battle you either, you cute little thing…"

_What? Pikachu, you _idiot_…_

"Fool…" the swimmer next to me, who had introduced himself as Luis, spoke up. "This guy is a joke. Misty will mop the floor with him."

I shook my head. "You're underestimating him. 'Sides, he _beat_ you…remember?"

The man scoffed. "Misty is a trainer who's going to keep improving. She won't lose to people like _you_ two!"

I clenched my fists, smiling tightly. "You have _no_ idea what you're talking about. Yeah, _I'll_ probably lose, but Red never will."

The man looked at me sideways. "You sure have a lot of faith in that kid."

I chuckled, the sound echoing despite my low tone. "It's not a matter of faith. It's a matter of _fate_."

I don't think he got what I meant, but then again, few would.

Misty sent out her Staryu first, and Red, after shaking his head at Pikachu, sent out his Ivysaur. But Ivysaur was enough. Red's team had faced the Rockets in Mt. Moon and won, and trained about as long as we had today. I was pretty sure his Ivysaur was almost level twenty before we got separated. And if I remembered correctly, Misty's higher-leveled Pokémon was at level twenty-one.

Yeah, she would get curb-stomped.

Staryu made the first move at Misty's order. It leapt in the air toward Ivysaur, who pulled out two dark green vines from the plant on his back. Said vines wrapped around the star-shaped Pokémon and held it aloft. Afterward, the frogasaur sprayed a cloud of sparkling green spores from his bud straight to the trapped Pokémon, and then slammed a vine into its red core.

Misty returned her Staryu without comment, but, remembering what the Pewter Gym guide had advised about watching the trainers, I noticed her eyes narrow in concentration and a bit of anger. She shifted her weight, her battler's stance becoming more aggressive, and leaned forward as if she were about to jump from a diving board. The cutesy, innocent act was gone. "Go, Starmie," she ordered, voice deeper and trembling with rage.

_Sheesh, calm down…_ I glanced to my right to see that Luis the bigmouth had finally shut up, and was currently shaking his head in disbelief. The picnicker watched the scene with wide eyes, and even the Gym guide was whistling, impressed.

The only one unaffected by the sudden tension in the air was Pikachu. After Misty had lowered him gently to the floor, he curled up in a ball and held his tail, making cute faces. _Seriously_, his impudence and adorability had _no_ bounds.

"Water Pulse, Starmie," those hard-edged words brought my attention back to the battle.

The purple star sent out a ring of water that wrapped around Ivysaur and condensed to damage him.

The frogasaur winced, but his indomitable endurance carried him through. He retaliated by shooting razor-edged leaves that whirred in the steam-filled air. I gulped at the sight. Those things looked as sharp as blades, and would likely slice one's head off as well. _Is this even kid-friendly anymore?_ Either Razor Leaf was a far more damaging move than I'd thought, or Red had found a way to strengthen an already powerful attack.

I wouldn't be surprised either way.

Misty proved her skill, however, when she shouted out, "Starmie, quick use Rapid Spin!"

The "mysterious" Pokémon spun so fast that its shape blurred before my eyes, somehow managing to deflect the razor-sharp leaves aside to land harmlessly in the pool water.

_Whoever cleans this pool deserves a gold star. I cannot imagine all the crap that gets in it. Is it even safe to swim in? No wonder it has so much chlorine. Luis is crazy for swimming in it!_

"Starmie, use Swift!"

The sea star shot a stream of bright yellow stars that sailed across the air to hit the seed Pokémon. Ouch. That looked like it hurt.

Ivysaur shook off the attack and growled, expelling a familiar-looking brown kernel, but Starmie, through another Rapid Spin, managed to cut through the green sprouts that had shot from the seed.

_Oh yeah. Leech Seed doesn't work with Rapid Spin. Red should know that…_ I shook my head at my ridiculousness. _Don't be stupid. Red's not perfect. Sure, he's amazing, but even amazing people make mistakes._

Red narrowed his eyes, exchanging a look with his Pokémon.

_Have they thought up a plan? _My heart raced.

Ivysaur shook himself, and a cloud of sleeping spores engulfed him, but the humidity in the air settled it sooner than I would've hoped. However, Red seemed undaunted, and the leaves and seeds that shot out from the cloud glittered with spores.

The Starmie once again spun in the air, but when I squinted I noticed that the spinning hadn't completely dispersed the spores, which had been deposited from the leaves and shoots onto the sea star as green droplets.

When the Pokémon started to droop, vines lashed out with lightning speed and constricted the Starmie with incredible force. When it looked like the star was going to get crushed from the pressure, the vines slammed it into the wall.

And then it was over.

Red accepted his rewards (money, Badge, TM) graciously, while Misty raved over his skill, fluttering her eyelashes at him all the while and making cute poses.

I chuckled. _Somebody has a crush. _It was kind of adorable.

I was brought back to earth when she turned to face _me_, green eyes considerably less friendly (well, I didn't want her to look at me _that_ way, so I was relieved). Red returned to the entrance, glancing at the Rhydon statues, and nodded a _good luck_ at me.

So then, it was my turn.

_Oh shit, it's _my_ turn._

* * *

**Thanks to SmileRen, Lord Cow-Cow, Xethrin, kenegi, nostalgicCyanide, Searching for Enadi, TammyHybrid21, colbub, Silvery-White Pearl, Fallen Vanguard, Lone Panda, and Konri Kari for reviewing! :D**

I feel washed out from all that writing now...ugh.

Anyway, I have an announcement to make and questions to ask.

After seeing a few questions from reviewers, I posted a FAQ on the first chapter. Now, I'm going to ask, should it be before or after the actual chapter? (This may sound like a dumb question, but humor me.) Would it be better as a standalone chapter (I'm not too fond of that idea but whatever you guys think) or on another chapter? Or do you think it's even necessary to have one?

Also, yesterday, bored while waiting for my alerts to pop up with a new story, I perused the forums (something I've only done once before for an RP before people being absent forced it to a halt), and discovered the forum "Writers Anonymous." Going through it, I found out something about author notes.

Now, I always try to keep my author notes to a minimum, but sometimes I find them necessary (this is one of those times) and many times the author notes are entirely composed of thanking you reviewers, who make my day with each and every review. However, from reading the forum, I found that there are a few people that find it annoying and skip over such things entirely. Now, their opinions aren't relevant here, but yours are. What do you think? Are you annoyed by this? Should I stop? Also, tell me if there's anything else about my author notes you think I should change or take out.

Also, somebody brought up something earlier that makes me ask: do you guys want a character list? It wouldn't be on this site, but as links I'd give you in the author notes (which again, brings us back to the author notes) to prevent spoilers. There'd be new links every five or so (or ten or so) chapters. Do you guys like that idea? Is every five good or would you rather every ten chapters I post links?

Tell me in a review or message what you think.


	25. Red 2

Chapter 25: Red 2

_"Hey, Red! Look at what Gramps showed me!"_

_ "I don't get you, Red. Why do you always have to be so stupid?" _

_"From now on, we go our separate ways. Trainers grow better alone anyway. And I'll be the better one, just watch!"_

The voices clamored in the darkness before fading like the images. Caught off guard from dreaming, the boy could not block the lingering traces of melancholy that clung to his sleep-hazed brain. He regulated his breathing the way he always had, staring at the cave walls in front for a point of reference. Before long, he was in control.

"Red? You all right?" a familiar voice spoke, its tone concerned.

He nodded, brain rapidly adjusting to his new state of wakefulness. _It was strange_, it reasoned. Strange for somebody who'd known the boy for a few short days to be so concerned, right? Or was it normal?

So far, in Red's experience, there were Pokémon, adults, and children. Pokémon were beautiful creatures capable of both power and kindness. They always listened, and could convey through touch and gentle sounds what human beings could not.

Adult humans were kind as well, but in different ways. They smiled at him, but their eyes lacked true warmth. It made sense. He was just a shadow. Blue was the one who had light.

Human children ignored him; he was a ghost in their midst. The world was full of bright spots of light, but he had none. Had he possessed one and lost it, or had he been born defective?

And Catch's behavior was so strange. In his whole life, there were only four humans besides her that stood out. Four that didn't fit the mold.

His mother, who smiled at him with true warmth and always held her arms open with a hug. Professor Oak had once called her a nadeshiko, which he later explained meant the "perfect woman."

But Red knew otherwise. Behind the perfect woman's perfect smiles and perfect cooking was a completely different person. There were nights he would hear painful wails from the same voice that tucked him to bed and kissed him goodnight. He got used to hearing the quiet hum and buzz from the television, and whenever he tiptoed downstairs for the bathroom his mother was in one of two positions: perched on a chair and staring straight at the screen with bloodshot eyes, or collapsed over the table.

He had never confronted her, afraid to break the delicate balance that had been established as long as he could remember. How long _had_ they performed this pantomime? How many days of quietly setting down his unfinished plate of food and fleeing the house when the familiar blankness stole over her eyes? How many days of coming back to a sunny, _smiling_ woman who gently scolded him to finish eating? They'd been dancing this way for so long that Red almost convinced himself the fake perfection was _real_. Perhaps it had always been like this. He had never questioned his home life before meeting Blue.

Blue…he was the second person that noticed him. They had known each other for as long as they could remember, and although Red's memories were fuzzy at that point, he was sure that they had gotten along well, before…

Daisy was the third person. Mature and poised, she was the older sister he could go to for comfort when his mother was having a mood or when Blue was being particularly bratty. She never took sides in their arguments. She was the mediator, the judge, untouchable and at the same time so warm and comforting. He had once silently promised to marry her and take care of her like she had for him, but the promise and the crush had died with the passing of years and the coming of common sense.

Professor Oak was the last person to _see_ him. Unlike Blue, the man seemed to understand him on a deeper level and he could honestly say that he was the person he got along the most with, a role model and a father figure. The man had taught him how to fish, gave him a voice through sign language, and, most importantly, had introduced him to Pokémon.

It was shortly after Red became Pokémon-obsessed that things changed for the worse. Blue took it upon himself to mock Red's obsession until his grandfather scolded him in the worst lecture Red had ever had the misfortune of hearing. After that day, Blue was…_different_. He declared himself Red's eternal rival and went at the books vigorously. His taunts lacked the casual warmth they had held before, and when he sneered, his eyes were cold.

Red still did not understand what he had done wrong. Perhaps he never would.

With the loss of his best friend, Red worked harder than ever to learn about Pokémon. The boy spent all his time outside, observing Pokémon and how they behaved. He brought home strays and injured Pokémon to the Professor, monitored their progress, and recognized them on sight the few times he met them again in the wild.

Sometimes he played with them. Unlike other Pokémon, they never attacked him.

They never suddenly decided to stop being friends either.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

Red turned to look at his traveling companion expressionlessly, not showing his surprise that he had been caught daydreaming. If he put up a blank enough face, perhaps…

_Perhaps her eyes will slide over the wall I have built, and move on._

"Red, are you having nightmares? I mean…it would make sense, what with us being in a flapping mountain and all that. Not that you're the type to get nightmares, but still…"

There was something about her babble. It filled the silence and lightened the heavy atmosphere that took him over at times, times when he felt the pinch of longing for past years.

Not that she didn't have her own problems. Her bright smiles were the same as his mother's. And as with his mother, he never pried.

But unlike his mother, who turned cold and fragile like black ice when her moods overtook her, Catch erupted into fits of rage or pain that smoldered into embers when finished.

Like Blue.

He gazed into the distance hollowly. _Perhaps it is true that darkness brings out the worst in us. I must not blame Blue for his own decisions, nor should I judge Catch for her similarities to him._

"Red?"

_Just like Blue: they both never stop asking questions._

Catch peered at him in concern. _Why is she so concerned?_

Red shook his head. _I'm fine, _he signed. That night, beneath the glow of the natural lighting, he had started her on sign language. She was a quicker study with that than she had been with Pokémon battling, and already knew a few words and phrases. _I'm fine_ had been one of them.

"All right…" she trailed off, but her voice returned. "Red?"

He cocked his head, a universal human signal for confusion or attentiveness. Both meanings could work in this scenario.

"I-I was wondering…w-what were you originally planning for this journey? You know, what were your goals…before…?"

The answer rose to mind immediately. He would travel the region with his Pokémon, perhaps find a few adventures on the way, but eventually challenge the Elite Four to become the Champion, and later become the best he could be. That hadn't changed, even with a traveling companion.

"I'm sure it was and still is to become the League Champion," Catch's wry voice pierced the air. "Though it's probably also to journey with your Pokémon friends."

Red smiled to himself. Was he that predictable? Then again, that was the dream of most ambitious trainers. It was indeed no surprise that Catch reached the conclusion she had.

"So you don't regret me being here? A tagalong?" the girl's quiet voice brought him back to earth, though he had to strain to hear it.

Red shook his head. _No, _he signed. Of course not.

At first he had been a little annoyed, though he hadn't shown it. Here was a complete stranger intruding on his _special_ _journey_, the journey most eleven-year-olds dreamed of.

But there was something familiar about her. He could not quite grasp why, but he knew if he traveled with her more, he could find the answers.

Plus, being with her opened his eyes to how other human beings thought. Humans that were not his mother or the Oak family. And, over time, her presence had become less of a nuisance and more of a comfort.

It gave him hope that perhaps, perhaps he could also make new, _human_ friends as well. Not just Pokémon ones.

Catch had a natural charm with strangers, her voice pleasantly covering for his silence, till they eased up and gazed at both children with equal warmth.

It was the same thing Blue used to do. His voice had been more pompous, his arrogance more pronounced, but it was still, essentially, the same.

He couldn't stop all the comparisons he was making, and that circled back to his fears.

_No, don't leave me don't leave again—_

_Darkness is also said to bring out one's worst fears._

But Blue had said that a true man never let fear stand in his way.

_Right. I'll ask Catch in the morning,_ he decided. _I'll do for her what I never did for Blue. I'll confront her._

The next morning, they ate breakfast (Red grudgingly opening another food package), and he ended up giving most of it to Pikachu, much to Catch's annoyance. She pursed her lips and said nothing, however.

Red was not sure if he would rather have her scolding or steadfastly ignoring him instead.

He had also noted a war going on between his traveling companion and his Pokémon. The boy was not sure how it started, but it certainly had not ended anytime soon.

Today, it had begun with Pikachu sniping bites of food from Catch's meal. At this rate, Pikachu would need more exercise to burn off all the extra calories he was accumulating. Catch, apparently thinking the same, took back a package that Red had given his Pokémon, and offered it to the boy.

He shook his head. Red had learned by now the wisdom of staying neutral in her various "fights."

Pikachu retaliated Catch's action by taking most of her food, events had escalated, and the meal ended with nobody knowing exactly which package had belonged to which owner originally. Red didn't eat much at all. Pikachu, on the other hand, was as round as a ball, while Catch's stomach was growling. _We'll both have to eat a large lunch later to make up for this,_ he thought.

"You've won _this_ battle, little rat," Catch grumbled to herself while stomping the ground like a Rhydon. "But _I'll_ win the war…" she cackled to herself and started muttering battle plans.

Red rolled his eyes at her and turned his head away to smile. _She is such a child sometimes… _He ignored the part of him that told him that he was a child as well. He was _far_ more mature than that girl would ever be.

The war had not ended there, however. Catch got her revenge when she tripped the mouse, Pikachu rejoined with a Zubat, she screeched and swatted it back, and Red walked ahead of them the whole time with Ivysaur and half of his companion's team. Granola and Cream Puff hung back to join in the prank war, taking opposite sides and causing chaos whenever they could, while Mock fretted to and fro in a vain attempt to stop the bedlam.

_Each person or Pokémon has his or her own way of bonding,_ he supposed.

Yes, the boy could get used to this.

ooo

Red ran alongside Ivysaur, monitoring the progress of the short battle. Capturing the Ekans with a Poké Ball, he leaned back against a nearby tree. It was a hot day for training.

Red had completely forgotten about asking Catch whether she would leave or not, but she had answered his question all by herself.

She would.

And her words… _"I just think that it's best for the both of us to grow separately as trainers."_

Just like Blue. He had said something similar.

_"From now on, we go our separate ways."_

He gritted his teeth, and pounded his fists against the tree's trunk mindlessly, eyes clenched shut from unbridled emotion.

_Why…?_

But nobody answered the silent plea, and he let out a breath, looking up at the branches helplessly. He mused idly over the images his senses relayed. It was the height of summer, so the tree was thick with foliage. The air, heavy with humidity from the nearby stream, was heating up with the advent of noon. The gentle thrum of lazy Pokémon was interrupted, however, by the cries of his team.

_Their voices are hoarse,_ his ears told him, and he nodded to himself. Time for a break.

Red decided to have lunch right where they were. There was no need to return to the Pokémon Center yet and face that girl and that _look_.

_I'm sorry, but this is how it has to be._

No. Not just yet.

Sipping his bottle of frozen water (a neat trick that Catch had shown him to keep it cold on hot days) he looked over his team, mind brimming with analyses.

The boy had heard once that Pokémon food could have a substantial impact on performance. If that were the case, then it would behoove him to learn how to make his own.

Catch had warned him that Ivysaur would be lazier now that he evolved, and would be practically sedentary if he evolved again. While that was a valid concern, Red figured he would simply have to make up for it with his other Pokémon. Ivysaur was inclined more for power than speed anyway.

Speaking of evolution, would he evolve Pikachu? The electric mouse was finally starting to obey him, but had shown no inclination to change form. Gaining the Pokémon's cooperation had been an uphill climb, and they still had some rough patches, but Red knew that it would all be worth it in the end.

The trainer rubbed said Pokémon's cheeks after finishing his drink. Catch had told him that Pikachu liked to have their cheeks massaged, afterward muttering about "I suppose the anime's good for _something_." While he'd never seen that particular anime (and he couldn't deny the educational interest), Red took her word for it. The information seemed valid, since Pikachu was quite content and relaxed after each session.

Ivysaur was watching the Teachy TV while this was going on. Red had seen all the episodes; found he didn't need them, and promptly forgot about the appliance Mr. Dull had given him. However, the seed Pokémon seemed to enjoy it for whatever reason.

"Heh. He's becoming a real couch potato," Catch had commented. "Well, he's part-plant anyway, so it makes sense."

The voice faded in the breeze, and Red sighed, arching his neck back to stare at the leaves above. No matter how many times he tried to busy his mind with other matters, everything always returned to her. _And Blue._

"Pika-chu?" his newly massaged Pokémon hopped up close into his face. _Are you okay?_

Red smiled at his Pokémon. Pikachu had also shown an interest in sign language during the Mt. Moon lesson, and had the intelligence to keep up, despite obvious setbacks.

_I'm fine,_ he signed automatically. It was a little troublesome to be surrounded by nosy people.

The Pokémon shook its head in disbelief. "Pika!" _No you're not! Tell me what's wrong! _From a fusion of body language, sign language, one-sided verbalization, and their familiarity with each other, Red could understand Pikachu perfectly and vice versa.

_I'm just…thinking._

And thus started a war of obstinacy between the two. Red hedged and formed vague answers while Pikachu showed a remarkable resemblance to a Tauros. Eventually the Pokémon managed to pry a response out of Red that was more than a _nothing_ or _it doesn't matter._

_I'm just wondering…about goodbyes. Mother, Blue, Daisy, Professor Oak, even Catch…I'm always saying goodbye to them for the sake of my training, my journey. I always thought that being a trainer is what I wanted, but…sometimes I wonder if the price is too high._

Red had never shared this information with anyone. That day, long ago, when he had first declared his dream to become the League Champion, he had been so confident, so full of ambition. What would the others say if he started doubting himself now? What kind of future champ got homesick? He was already eleven, the age when all children were old enough to travel alone on Pokémon journeys, and mature beyond that. _I've grown so much, so I cannot allow myself to be weak now…_

Pikachu's eyes softened, and he climbed down from his former position on Red's lap to lie beside him.

The two of them stared at the clouds for a while, Red's agitated emotions gradually settling in the face of the peerless summer day. He relaxed in the lazy drift of the clouds, the gentle wisp of the breeze over the sweet-smelling grass, the burbling song of the stream, the drowsy gossip of wild Pokémon…

"Pikachu." _You know, Red. You're not alone in this._

Red turned to look at his Pokémon, surprised at the sudden continuation of the conversation. He had thought it died off.

_ I also have my doubts and my regrets. Do you know I had a family back in the forest?_

The boy looked down. No, he had not. And he had not thought of it either. _Why_ did he _not_ think of it?

_ Yeah. Mother and father. I miss them and I'm sure they miss me. But I decided to journey with you anyway._

Red gazed at the Pokémon curiously, his self-harangue cut off. _Why?_

_ Because you have something I haven't seen in any other trainer. Potential._

Pikachu hopped up into a standing position, glaring at his chosen trainer. _Potential to be great. But the first thing you have to learn about potential and what comes with it is that others will leave you. Face it. You cast a long shadow, and not many people can tolerate standing in one. Whether out of jealousy or because they want to grow themselves…_

The Pokémon turned its back on Red, ears drooping. _People like us will always be lonely…_ Pikachu turned around, eyes blazing. _But that's why we have to stick together! Stand tall and remember: whichever road you take, we'll walk it with you._

_He's right,_ Ivysaur joined in, television forgotten. _Don't forget Red. As your Pokémon and your friends, no matter what, we're here for you._

Red nodded, and if his eyes were particularly misty, it was only because the air was rather muggy. He stooped down to hug both of his friends briefly but firmly. He was not the most expressive of boys, but that one action was enough to convey the sincerity of his heart. _Thank you._

And when they continued training, Red's depression lifted. He felt stronger than ever, and ready to face his new friend. He would miss her, but he had his other friends to support him.

ooo

"Red…I was born…on planet Earth. There are no Pokémon there, only animals."

Thus started the most ridiculous tale the boy had ever heard.

And yet, he could not help but believe it.

Red knew body language. Living on the outskirts of life's social circles had allowed him to observe the nuances and structures of normal human behavior.

So from the very first day he had known this odd girl, he knew there was something…_off_ about her. Her gestures, her phrases, her confusion at very ordinary things, all bespoke _foreigner_.

And, if body language was universal, she was not lying either.

Then she mentioned the professor.

_What? So Professor Oak's involved too? How? Why?_

An alarm went off in his head. There was something…strange about this. He listened to his instincts, and they were screaming at him right now.

_You know what she's talking about…find…_

Catch continued, describing the first dimension travellers and how she was chosen to replace their presence here, how she needed to complete the Pokédex somehow to finish a "loop," and the mysterious ripples that had been appearing every so often.

And that was when the alarm changed into a full-blown headache-inducing clamor.

There was something there...but every time he grasped for it, the thought backed away, only to return like the waves at the shores of Pallet.

_ Pallet…what…?_

He eventually decided to leave that particular thought alone, instead focusing on Catch's other words.

_ "That's why…I have to complete the Pokédex. I need it finished to go home."_

His mind froze. The words had been walled out while he was busy with his headache, but now they slipped in through the cracks and sank in. _Other world…_

_She has a home to return to…she'll never return…but she must be missing it as well…like Pikachu and I miss ours._

_I won't hold her back._

He nodded to himself, pushing back his curiosity about the other world. Both of them had their own dreams, and far be it from him to interfere with hers. No, he would continue his journey with his Pokémon friends. She would collect every single Pokémon, and then leave Red forever.

Fortunately, he had not known Catch for very long. Four days was not nearly enough time to get truly involved. The girl seemed to be the type to get attached to others easily, but Red was not that way at all.

He was going to be the strongest trainer ever. And strong trainers did not let things like _attachments to other people_ get in the way.

That was what Blue told him the day he cut off all ties.

And whether it was true or not, Red held onto it.

Because if it was a lie, then for what reason had Red walked alone all these years?

He was a strong trainer. A future champion. He would get over this.

Red gripped those words like an iron chain and did not let go.

But with all the force he was exerting to hold onto said chain, his attention was split for the rest of the day.

Pikachu scolded him on that and left him during Misty's battle with the parting words: _I won't fight for a trainer whose heart isn't all there._

He knew his Pokémon was trying to help him, but it stung just the same, and was all he needed to regain most of his focus.

There was still a small corner of his mind reserved for _strength_ and _I'll get over this,_ but for the most part his attention was back on the battle.

He had made a few rookie mistakes, but in the end, he had won.

While accepting his Gym Badge, he frowned internally. _I'll have to train myself even harder to make up for my blunders today._

He would accept nothing less from himself. Perfection was unnecessary, but trying one's hardest was.

_And I did not try my best during this battle,_ he mused. _Pikachu knew that, and that was why he didn't fight today._

He would have to break free from these shackles (_don't leave me_) that held him back (_I hate goodbyes_).

At least he had his Pokémon. He was not sure if he could do it without them.

Red watched Catch face the Gym Leader with hard eyes. The results of this battle would determine her new status. Whether she was a loser or a winner. Rookie or rival material.

Her former status had been merely temporary after all.

"Go, Staryu!" Misty shouted, sea green eyes determined.

_So she has multiple Pokémon that she has trained._

Most people became Gym Leaders for one of three reasons. One: inheritance. Taking over a Gym from a family member, usually older. These people were known as weaker Gym Leaders because of their inexperience or complacence.

The second reason was out of genuine desire for leadership. They had worked hard for their position and took the job seriously. Lieutenant Surge, Gym Leader of Vermillion, was one such trainer.

The third and last reason was either fame or brilliance. Some people were just that strong. Red had been disappointed that the Viridian City Gym was locked shut because the Leader of that place was rumored to fall under the last category. The title of "Gym Leader" was just another accolade to add to the list of his many accomplishments.

Misty may have inherited her Gym, but she took the job seriously, and even had the foresight to train multiple Pokémon to use in rotation. Red approved.

Catch held up her wrist to look over her Poké Ball bracelet, before she apparently made a decision. "Granola, go!"

Red's keen eyes analyzed the bird Pokémon. She had looked fierce enough as a Pidgey, gentlest of all Kanto birds, but as a Pidgeotto she was positively ferocious.

Misty looked taken aback. Granola was noticeably larger than the average Pidgeotto, and Red nodded when her eyes narrowed. So she could tell…

_Granola is an alpha. Alpha Pokémon are notoriously hard to train._

He glanced to his right without moving his head. _Like Pikachu. _The electric mouse had quickly learned that Red was left-handed, so he had taken to residing on his right shoulder. He wouldn't be surprised if this unruly mouse were also an alpha.

Many species of Pokémon were social creatures. It was generally known that if one were to train a social Pokémon, the recommended type would be omega.

Omega Pokémon were the bottom-rung Pokémon, the lowest in the social hierarchy for whatever reason. Because of this, they were the most obedient to trainers, and would more likely do whatever the trainer asked out of a desire to please the "standing alpha."

Pokémon teams were not only about working together. They were also about hierarchy. At least for social Pokémon. The trainer was the "alpha" alpha, and there was also a Pokémon universally acknowledged as the alpha among the team. Sometimes there would be a beta, and often there would be an omega.

The reason Pokémon teams generally worked so well despite the troubles involved with capturing and training a new member was that the newcomer was often an omega. Unless abnormally strong, the other Pokémon would quickly establish this hierarchy to the new recruit, and said recruit would be unusually obedient to the trainer in an attempt to "curry favor" with the alpha. By the time the Pokémon would be comfortable enough in the hierarchy to act out, it would already have established a rapport with the other Pokémon and its trainer, so disciplinary problems were rare.

Because of this, new trainers were often recommended to capture weak, omega-social Pokémon before moving on to stronger, more confident, and loner Pokémon. Solitary Pokémon were particularly troublesome for trainers, since they were unused to following someone else's orders.

But Red believed that life could work without a hierarchy. Teams didn't need to have rankings. Each and every member was equally valuable. He had relayed as much to Catch as well.

And that was why Catch's team, which consisted of a pacifist Wartortle, a loner Rattata, an alpha Pidgeotto, an eccentric Mankey, a naturally solitary Jigglypuff, and an undersized Nidorina managed to work as well as it did. It was also why Red's team of two alphas had little to no problems performing.

However, in the light of his new knowledge about Catch's background, Red was surprised at her progress. He had spent his whole life surrounded by Pokémon. How had _Catch_ become so knowledgeable and caring of Pokémon if she didn't come from the same world?

_She accepted them almost immediately as partners. Do animals have similar statuses there as well?_

There were still so many mysteries about Catch, that other world, and about humans in general that Red had yet to discover, if he ever would. If only he could communicate with and understand people like he could Pokémon, life would be so much easier.

"Granola, Plan A, but be careful!" Catch yelled.

_Going on the offensive, then?_ Red mused. With Granola, that strategy could be brutally effective.

The bird nodded sharply at her trainer, and flew down at the Staryu like a bullet.

_She must have leveled up a few times since evolving,_ Red noted. He had worried about the bird adjusting to her new size and wingspan, but it appeared that she had learned to accommodate her new size nicely.

Pidgeotto, with their larger bodies and broader wings, were more predatory than their smaller cousins, but this came with a few downsides. They were better suited as gliders than flappers, and preferred to float from on high in search of prey. However, their strength had increased, so each flap was more powerful than a Pidgey's. New Pidgeotto would be unused to this different method of flying, but after adjusting to it their speed would rival, if not surpass, their previous form. Pidgeot were the fastest of all, achieving speeds of Mach 2 after enough acceleration.

Granola dive-bombed the Staryu before it could react, sending it flying into the water. Misty and Catch stood at opposite ends of the Gym on dry land, but most of the battling space was comprised of water.

"Staryu, Water Pulse!" the Gym Leader shouted.

The star-shaped Pokémon nodded, letting loose familiar rings of water.

Red noted Catch grumbling to herself, but the girl didn't order anything.

That was one thing they had worked on. If one did not shout out orders, then one was unpredictable. But one had to be confident that one's Pokémon would follow through and go with the battle plan.

Catch was putting a lot of faith in Granola to execute this strategy during a Gym battle.

And the bird knew it too. Red could tell with one look that the Pokémon would work its hardest in this battle.

_If you have trust in your Pokémon, then they will uphold that trust,_ Red had told Catch during one of their breaks. It was…warming to see that the girl had paid attention.

Red breathed in, glancing at the Rhydon statues. _Don't forget…_

For now, the battle was most important.

Granola flapped this way and that to evade the rings of water, but couldn't dodge them all, crying out in pain when one hit her. The bird retaliated with a few flaps of her wings, each flap stacking on top of the previous ones to create a powerful gust of wind that blew the Water Pulse right back at the Staryu.

"Oh, Staryu!" Misty cried, eyes watering. Growling, she glared up at Granola. "Staryu, go underwater!"

The Staryu made a few warbling sounds before diving underwater and out of sight.

Red remembered what the professor had told him about the Pidgey line. _"As a Pidgey evolves, its eyesight becomes stronger, and they also start being able to see through water."_

_ "Isn't that the same thing, though?" the boy had asked._

_ "No it is not," the professor shook his head. "You could compare Fearow and Pidgeot. Fearow prey mainly on land Pokémon such as Rattata, while Pidgeot prefer water-types like Magikarp. Both have developed keen eyesight suited for their feeding behavior. Fearow can spot miniscule movements right away, which suits their tendency to prey on land Pokémon whose every movement stands out against their still surroundings. But Pidgeot cannot spot such movements as easily as their long-beaked cousins. Their eyes are instead specialized to see through water. Pidgeotto senses are not as developed as their final evolution, but they can still see through clear water to a certain extent."_

However, such facts weren't widely known outside of academic circles and bird trainers who specialized in these Pokémon. Red doubted that Catch or Misty knew such things.

Normally, this wouldn't affect the battle, what with the trainers controlling the movements of their Pokémon. In this case, though…

"Staryu, use Tackle!" Misty shouted.

The star-shaped Pokémon leapt out of the water…and straight into the bird's claws.

"Reee!" the Pidgeotto let out a high-pitched screech.

"Granola, aim for the jewel in the center or it will recover!" Catch ordered.

The bird nodded and flipped around to stab her beak into the red core, but Misty's shout of "attack, Staryu!" interrupted her movement.

The star shape Pokémon quickly freed itself and dove back into the water.

Red nodded to himself. Catch should have specified from the beginning where she wanted her Pokémon to target. Though it risked the enemy knowing what to protect, a smart trainer could take advantage of that to change the target, and catch the opponent off guard. Those brief seconds taken to specify where to attack only allowed the Staryu to escape.

And now Misty knew that Granola could see through water.

"Recover, Staryu!"

The Pokémon glowed yellow and bright orbs of light surrounded it, washing over the star-shaped body and leaving behind a healthy, unblemished Staryu.

"Grr, Granola, don't forget the plan!"

"Geoow!" the bird affirmed, and flapped her wings frantically, calling up a mini-tornado that swept through the room.

"Oh no, Staryu!"

The tornado lifted the star Pokémon and the chlorinated water of the pool, creating a cyclone of water that slammed into the Gym wall with devastating force. The Staryu itself collapsed against the wall, red core blinking like a flashing emergency light.

"Now, Granola, finish it off!" Catch yelled.

The Pidgeotto nodded and dove down from her height, her streamlined body helping her acceleration…straight into the core of the Pokémon.

With a loud _crack,_ Misty's Staryu fainted, and the first battle was over._  
_

* * *

Yes. It's a Red chapter. You're welcome. ;)

One thing I love about writing Red is that I get to insert SO MUCH Pokémon lore and knowledge. Catch is still discovering new things about it, but Red's pretty in the know. I love going into detail about things so Red chapters are nice for that.

And sorry for the wait. My writing muse left me suddenly and the "do anything but writing" muse kept me company instead...

I've only seen the first three seasons of the Pokémon anime and I have decided to watch ALL the seasons, since it's high time I caught up, though I'm still on the Indigo League right now. One thing about the anime I forgot about is that Ash is not only dumb, he's also arrogant. But as episodes go by, his arrogance is gradually being replaced by helpfulness. It's nice to see and I'm actually starting to like him. Hopefully the trend will continue beyond the first season.

I've also gotten obsessed with the zombie apocalypse manga "Apocalypse no Toride." I've been looking for similar manga but "High School of the Dead" has too much fanservice for my taste. I've never been a fan of fanservice (for both genders) and it just seems weird to put it in a zombie manga. It's like: "Flash! Zombie brains! Flash! Boob shot! Flash! Zombie massacre! Flash! Panty shot!"

So instead I'm starting Resident Evil, a series I've been too yellow-bellied to play until now. I'm playing the remake, but I've heard the original has awesomely cheesy dialogue. "You were almost a Jill sandwich." XD

When I'm not burning zombies or shooting giant snakes I'm spraying wasps. Ugh. This is my first summer in the new house and it was abandoned for a while before we renovated it so there are wasps...EVERYWHERE. It's frigging annoying. DX

Anyway, thanks guys for your wonderful feedback last chapter. I've decided to put the FAQ at the end of the first chapter for now, and as you can see, I've decided to keep going with the author notes and review thank-yous. Also, I'm posting character profiles every five or ten chapters depending on whether Catch's team has really changed. I've already posted character profiles for chapters ten and twenty, and this chapter will also have character profiles. Another note: if there are no known changes with a character (like Blue) then when I post profiles, I'll skip that person. If you want to see the latest profile on Blue, go to chapter twenty.

Character profile time. :)

_Catch M. Hall: shorttext*com/vz5ANG_

_Red: shorttext*com/zpTb3J_

**Thank you so very much to SmileRen, Lord Cow-Cow, Fallen Vanguard, Frozen-Night-Mist, Mel's Merleawe, nostalgicCyanide, Lone Panda, TammyHybrid21, Searching For Enadi, Gembell, 1412 karasu, ZombieSlayers, Totodileawesomeness, brica, Imagination12, and Guest(101!) for reviewing! :D**


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